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SAEM Annual Awards: A Who’s Who of Emergency Medicine
Emergency medicine (EM) quietly turned 50 last year, five decades after Gail V. Anderson was named the first chair of emergency medicine at Los Angeles County, University of Southern California (LAC/USC) Medical Center in October 1971. Although formation of the Emergency Medical Residents’ Association (EMRA) in 1974 and the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) in 1979 served to solidify our specialty’s place in the firmament of medical practice, we are still considered newcomers in the medical world. One of the most exciting aspects of our specialty is that some of our founders are still alive, perhaps even practicing and teaching EM to the next generation of practitioners. The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) was founded in 1989, as an amalgamation of the University Association for Emergency Medicine (UAEM) and the Society of Teachers of Emergency Medicine (STEM). Our purpose for the last 33 years has been to, “improve care of the acutely ill and injured patient by improving research and education.” But the improvements that we seek are not easily won and are often achieved by those working quietly behind the scenes to advance our specialty. Each year, SAEM honors the best and brightest EM physicians with its annual awards ceremony, recognizing those individuals who have shown, “excellence in our field, for contributions improving the health of society, and for academic achievements.”
A review of the past winners of these awards reads like a “who’s who” of emergency medicine. The names of women and men who built our specialty from the ground up are preserved here, their examples continuing to inform and inspire the rest of us. For those unfamiliar with these awards, here are some of the highlights:
John Marx Leadership Award
This award honors a, “SAEM member who has made exceptional contributions to emergency medicine through
John Marx leadership – locally, regionally, nationally or internationally – with priority given to those with demonstrated leadership within SAEM.”
Trained under Peter Rosen, Dr. John Marx left Denver General after 10 years with Carolinas Medical Center, where he served with distinction as chair for
20 years. His research interests focused on abdominal trauma and alcohol-related emergencies. In addition to editing three editions of Rosen’s Emergency Medicine textbook, he was a founding member of the editorial boards of Academic Emergency Medicine and Journal of Emergency Medicine, accumulated 38 visiting professorships, and served as President of SAEM.
The first John Marx Leadership Award was presented in 1989 to Ronald L. Krome, MD.
Excellence in Research Award
This award honors a, “SAEM member who has made outstanding contributions to emergency medicine through the creation and sharing of new knowledge.” Candidates are evaluated based on key criteria including research accomplishments, training and mentorship of other investigators, and research service.
The first excellence in Research Award was presented to Jeffrey A. Kline, MD, who presently serves as the editor in chief of Academic Emergency Medicine journal.
Hal Jayne Excellence in Education Award
This award honors a, “SAEM member who has made outstanding contributions to emergency medicine through the teaching of others and the improvement of pedagogy.”
A 1969 graduate of Wayne State University School of Medicine and early faculty member at Detroit General Hospital, Harold A. Jayne was also the founder and Chief of the University of Illinois EM program, longstanding Annals of Emergency Medicine Editorial Board member, and a prominent early contributor to the success of ACEP, ABEM, and SAEM. His sudden death in 1986 at the age of 43 cut short what would have undoubtedly been a long and fruitful academic career.
The first Hal Jayne Excellence in Education award was presented in 2009, to Steve Lowenstein, MD, MPH. Steve Lowenstein
This award honors a, “SAEM member who has made exceptional contributions to advancing diversity and inclusion in emergency medicine
Marcus L. Martin through leadership – locally, regionally, nationally or internationally – with priority given to those with demonstrated leadership within SAEM.”
A pioneering champion for diversity and inclusion within EM, Dr. Martin was the first Black American graduate of Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in 1976, later serving as Chair (1996-2006) at the University of Virginia (UV) and UV Vice President and Chief Officer for Diversity and Equity since 2011. A past President of both SAEM and CORD, Martin was recently elected Rector of the EVMS Board of Visitors in 2021.
The first Marcus L. Martin Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion Award was presented in 2014 to Joel Moll, MD.
This award honors a “SAEM member who has made significant contributions to the advancement of women in academic emergency medicine.” Both men and women are eligible, and key criteria for this award include evidence of mentoring and support of women in academic EM, national leadership in the spirit of this award, and vital contributions to the advancement of EM. The award was first presented in 2008 to Rita Cydulka, MD, MS.
Rita Cydulka
Other Annual Awards
Additional SAEM Awards include the Mentor Award, Mid-Career Investigator Award, Public Health Leadership Award, FOAMed Excellence in Education Award, Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award, Early Investigator Award, Early Educator Award, a host of Academy awards, and several awards recognizing outstanding medical students, residents, and fellows.
As our specialty embarks on its second fifty years, we should all pause and reflect on the accomplishments of EM’s pioneers and titans, but also recognize that their tradition of excellence in research, leadership, and academic EM lives on in this generation of academicians. Let’s all show our support of SAEM and of the exceptional people who are working behind the scenes to advance our specialty by nominating a candidate for one of these prestigious awards. We all know someone who deserves to be recognized, and now is the time to act. Award nominations close on December 9, 2022.
For more information on these and other awards, or to submit a nomination, please visit the SAEM Awards website.
Nominate Yourself, a Colleague, or a Mentor for an Award!
Awards season is back and we’re celebrating excellence in academic emergency medicine research, education, and leadership. Nominate a colleague, mentor, or yourself for an SAEM or RAMS award by December 9, 2022. These awards, among several others (including a RAMS video contest!), recognize the very best in our field. Learn more about the awards and nomination process and apply today!
