president's message
I would like to thank all of you for giving me the opportunity to serve you as your president for a second one-year term. I am excited, and hope that you are too, regarding the 225th Anniversary of the Worcester District Medical Society. As you know, our Society was established in 1794 and is the 3rd oldest Medical Society in the United States after Boston (1781) and Philadelphia (1787). I am sure you have already received the information about the Gala Celebration which is going to be held on Friday, September 27, 2019, 5:30 p.m. at Mechanics Hall. We are hoping that you will help us raise funds for the Scholarship Committee of the WDMS by attending this Gala. Each year, our graduating medical students leave school with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. This debt plays an integral part of which specialty of medicine they will be training and practicing in future. Unfortunately, the private practice in primary care in rural or underserved areas does not come on the top of those choices. I know the amount of money we offer each year through our scholarship award is just a drop in the bucket. But something is better than nothing to show our fresh graduates that we care and feel the pain of their financial burden. As you may already know, by the year 2035, there will be a major short fall (44,000) in primary care providers in the United States. Will that gap be filled by NPs and Pas? Or do we owe to our population a well-trained and educated Family Medicine Practitioner, Pediatrician or Internist to lead our health care teams to provide the health care they deserve? I do not want to down play the work of NP’s and PA’s. They are a vital part of every health care team and that is the way it should be. As the practice of medicine is getting more and more complex, we need help from every sector of health care to work together for the common goals of quality, affordable, timely, and culturally sensitive and patient centered health care. This includes ALL residents of the United States. We should also not forget about the social determinants of health. I know it is a tall order, and it may never happen, but there is no harm in dreaming about it. We can only hope it will come true in our lifetime. I want to take this opportunity to thank Martha, Melissa and all the members of the Gala committee for the many long hours they have devoted to putting this Gala together. I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the Gala. We need your support if our efforts to raise funds for our Scholarship Committee will be realized. Please make every effort to attend the Gala on September 27, 2019. We have organized a wonderful program for you. We will have a delicious variety of food, a presentation on the history of WDMS and dancing with live big band music for your entertainment and enjoyment. I would like to thank our Worcester Medicine Editorial Board for publishing this special issue to commemorate the 225th Anniversary of our WDMS and for the incredible job they did in focusing on the “Past, Present and Future” of medical education. As I have always said, “Get involved and be counted; if you want to see change then you need to be part of the change.” Have a wonderful, enjoyable and safe summer. Thanks,
Sahdev Passey 8 | Worcester Medicine July/August 2019
WDMS.ORG
President's Message
