Heather Liebherr, M.D.
It is an ideal time to address concerns regarding residency training given next year's changes in resident evaluation, using the Accreditation Council for
Graduate Medical Education’s Milestones. Increased collaboration between residency programs and a strong voice from the APA are needed to enrich education and research opportunities for residents.
Members In-Training have one vote on the APA Board of Trustees and are thus able to influence the formulation and implementation of policies within the APA. I have represented my resident colleagues while serving as Housestaff Class
Representative and currently Housestaff Vice President. I reached out to the residents, communicated their concerns, and helped influence educational changes in a large psychiatry program. Additionally, I was elected as the
Psychiatry Resident Representative on the Graduate Medical Education
Committee, which serves 1,300 residents at the University of Pittsburgh Medical
Center. This position has allowed me to represent my colleagues to an audience beyond the psychiatry program.
I will contribute to the APA and the field of psychiatry by advocating for enhanced mental health services in public school systems. I have gained experience in this area through development of an afterschool mental health education program for inner city youth. I will draw from my work with the National Alliance on Mental
Illness over the past several years to continue to address mental health stigma.
Just as importantly, I am interested in the development of advocacy training for residents, and will encourage greater resident involvement in the APA.
As I complete General Psychiatry Residency and enter into Child and Adolescent
Fellowship, I have had time to reflect on changes, challenges and promises in the field of psychiatry. This is an exciting time to be a trainee and it would be an honor and a privilege to be your representative on the APA Board of Trustees.
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