This interview is one in a series of interviews with recipients of the 2022 ACGME Awards. The awardees join an outstanding group of previous honorees whose work and contributions to graduate medical education (GME) represent the best in the field. They will be honored at the ACGME Annual Educational Conference, taking place virtually March 30-April 1, 2022.
2022 Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Awardee Amit R.T. Joshi, MD, FACS is a professor of surgery and the associate dean for GME at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Cooper University Healthcare in Camden, New Jersey. Dr. Joshi is also the editor-in-chief of the Surgical Council on Resident Education (SCORE®).
ACGME: How did you become involved in medicine, and in academic medicine specifically?
Amit R.T. Joshi: My journey through academic medicine has always revolved around education, particularly at the GME level. Leading Einstein’s general surgery program between 2010-2021 was not only personally fulfilling, but also allowed me to meet educators within surgery (and beyond) through the country and across the world. Having the privilege of helping to lead impactful organizations within surgery gives me great satisfaction and a sense of purpose.
ACGME: What does this award mean to you?
Joshi: I am incredibly honored by this award, particularly when I read about the other educators who have received it this year and previously. Previous awardees such as Drs. [Mary] Klingensmith, [Douglas] Smink, and [Keith] Delman are people I have long admired and have been lucky to collaborate with to improve surgical education. The testimonials from my residents and my colleagues at Einstein are heartwarming. I so enjoyed working at Einstein with these outstanding physicians for a decade.
ACGME: What do you feel is the most important job the program director has?
Joshi: While the most important written job of the program director is to maintain a program’s accreditation, it is the unwritten jobs that provided me the most joy. Mentorship as a program director came in so many forms—career advice, helping residents to manage responsibilities in the hospital and at home, and guiding a learner through the vicissitudes of general surgery training, to name a few.
ACGME: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Joshi: Graduation day every year is the most rewarding day of the year as we get to celebrate our learners’ successes. July 1 is pretty close, too! It’s always fun to meet the new residents and start our educational partnership together.
ACGME: What is the most challenging?
Joshi: There are so many competing interests that can make education difficult. Clinical efficiency and budgetary constraints can sometimes be a strong crosswind for a smooth educational journey. But, steering a program and residents through this turbulence also pays great rewards. Program directors must develop interpersonal skills and a spirit of collaboration to solve these conflicts, while consistently implementing their educational vision.
ACGME: What advice do you have to residents or fellows who may be interested in pursuing a career in academic medicine?
Joshi: It is hugely rewarding—particularly a career in education. Dr. John Potts once described the magnifying effect that educators have on patient care. Every physician has an impact on patients. But, educators, through their residents, are force multipliers—able to improve care to thousands of patients they have never even met.
Learn more about the ACGME’s Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award and nominate a deserving program director for the 2023 Award – nominations are due by April 6, 2022.