Life, like a pot of stew, takes on a different flavor depending on the ingredients and sometimes the cook may add a twist or two. As my year of presidency unfolds, I will, we will see how the stew unfolds. Sometimes the stew has a simple flavor, sometimes a bold flavor. I am no cook, but I have observed and experienced a lot of life’s flavors along my medical journey, and I expect this year to be no different. So, as you travel along with me this year as President, I will try to add ingredients and flavor throughout the year to my stew pot. I feel confident that we will have more than plenty of ingredients, flavors, and twists to add as the year advances. Our future has enough uncertainty to assure us of that.
Today I would like to start with the base ingredient. This ingredient was emphasized in my inaugural speech - MSMA membership. Membership is critically important to the viability of all organizations, and MSMA is not exempt. We can all agree that there is strength in numbers. Numbers are definitely important but equally, or quite possibly more important, is engagement. Without engagement and activism, numbers lose their power. Over the past several years many organizations have lost membership, but not because the number of potential members has diminished. Then why, one might ask, have associations and other member organizations seen a diminishing membership? Like the stew, flavors and tastes change with time. Is our flavor not spicy enough? Do we need to add new spices to our stew to make it more appealing or do we just need to market better?
Along with the loss of membership, organizations have seen their member engagement diminish. Is it apathy or are we just pulled in too many directions and as a result, something has to suffer from lack of overall time? The importance of the organization has not changed or diminished; in fact, it’s success and viability are more important today than ever before. Medicine and healthcare overall have more challenges than ever in the history of medicine. So, why doesn’t every physician want to be a part of addressing those challenges and making healthcare better for all?
I know life demands and expectations change and we must adapt and change, or we will cease to excel and maybe even exist. Life may have been viewed as simpler in years past, but I think that is very debatable and challengeable. There is no question that times were different. They are different every year and will likely be from now till the end of time. So, how do we determine that missing ingredient or flavor so that we can continue to have a strong, vibrant, and successful association?
It began for me many, many years ago. For me as a young physician, it all started with my component society. Over my life, I would not have described myself as someone who wanted to be in the forefront. Like many, I complained about things around me, but I too often didn’t speak out or take any form of a lead. As a brand-new physician with a family and a new practice, life was hectic and busy. I didn’t think I had time for much more than day to day life. A simple invite from a colleague to attend the Northeast Mississippi Medical Society was the start of my journey to getting involved. I think at the time I was already an AMA and MSMA member. It was just the thing to do. But involvement was not on my radar at the time.
The meetings were fun, but more importantly, we came together to seek ways to address challenges and ultimately make things better for all of medicine. I was fortunate and blessed to have had a number of strong mentors, so I challenge each of you to become that strong mentor to someone in your group or area of practice. It wasn’t long till I was seeking ways to get involved and even seeking leadership roles. To me, it is somewhat like a grass root movement, it all starts locally and grows outward. You all know a movement has to start with just one. We MUST have strong component societies in order to have a strong successful association. Let’s work to grow our membership and see just how impactful that movement can be.
During my year of presidency, I would be honored to be able to attend a meeting at all 17 component societies. I suspect that may be improbable because some component societies don’t even meet, but maybe we can change that during this year. Let MSMA help with organization and management of your component society, if that is part of the challenge to having a vibrant component society. If that would be of benefit to your component society, reach out to me or the MSMA staff and let them discuss how they can help solve some of the challenges.
As I said, it would be my pleasure to address all 17 component societies during my year as President. As President, I have had the honor and pleasure to address two component societies already, Northeast Medical Society and Central Medical Society. I am scheduled to address the North Component Society in late October and I hope there will be many more to come.
As most of you know, we now have thirteen training sites outside of the UMMC campus. I have had the pleasure to address the residents at Magnolia Regional Health Center, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and the Mississippi State Hospital Psychiatry programs and hope to address others during the coming year. Our future rests in the hands of the next generation of these physicians. We want them to be engaged and mentored by the sage present generation. We need them to continue their engagement and activism long after their residency training ends. Each of us need to be there to serve as mentors to this young and energetic generation.
So as the year begins, the stew is simmering, membership is our base. Let’s work on stirring the base and add ingredients and flavor as the year progresses. I challenge each of you to encourage someone to become a member, encourage a member to remain a member, and to become more active and engaged. As we move into the year, a state election year at that, feel free to reach out and express your thoughts and challenges to me or the MSMA staff. MSMA is a servant organization and we are here to serve you.
May your everyday journey be pleasant and productive. May you find happiness and success along life’s journey. Success is a state of mind and we can all find it, if we just look hard enough. Now what will next month’s stew ingredient be? Send me your thoughts and help me find that ingredient.
Best wishes,
John Mitchell