It is hard to believe that two years have passed since I began my tenure as President of the AUPN, but indeed they have, and the time to pass the torch is upon us. Certainly, the years of 2020 through 2021 will go down in history as two of the most challenging years of this century worldwide, due to the ravages of the COVID pandemic. In early 2020, as the pandemic was just beginning, we at the AUPN had already begun to plan for an enhanced level of digital engagement, and the last two years have been transformational for the AUPN in very positive ways. Our pivot to webinar-based seminars, workshops, and programs enabled us to increase the frequency and depth of our interaction with our members (and also the interaction of our members with each other), resulting in record levels of attendance and AUPN membership.  During this time, we have conducted over 26 virtual programs (double the number of total sessions of previous years), including our very first Women Leaders in Neurology program, and our first VA Director’s Workshop, a program we inaugurated after inclusion of the Chiefs of academically-affiliated VA Neurology Services into AUPN membership.

We also created, produced and launched the highly popular AUPN Leadership Minute segments. Over 20 Leadership Minutes have been produced over the last two years, along with the launch of the AUPN Leading Edge podcast series. Together, these new digital offerings have been accessed over 1000 times, which is quite remarkable for an organization of our size.  Our most recent AUPN Leadership Minute, Putting the Burn on Burnout, presented by Dr. Corman O'Donovan (Wake Forest) and moderated by Dr. Rohit Das (University of Texas, Southwestern) was just released.  Also starting in 2020, our Saturday newsletter was revised and retooled to provide even more timely and relevant information, not only about the offerings of the AUPN, but also on a variety of leadership topics, along with a wide range of engagement opportunities for the Chairs in our allied neurology organizations and with other AUPN partners. 

It was also an unprecedented time for neurology chair recruitments nationally.  After a near pause in recruitments from mid to late 2020, the number of new chairs recruited soared to record highs, with nearly 20 new chairs recruited over the last 24 months.  As a standard of comparison, the number of chairs historically recruited in a given year averages around 3 to 5.  The reasons for this surge are not clear, but may relate to an increased number of chair retirements as part of the “Great Resignation”, perhaps prompted by the stressors of the COVID pandemic, and/or the increased pace of strategic change in academic health systems as the demand for neurological services continues its dramatic rise.  In any case, this crop of new chairs is an inspiring, passionate and very talented group, boding well for the future of the field in the 2020s.  Importantly, and again for the first time ever, the number of female chairs taking the helm nearly equaled the number of new male chairs (9 vs.10), increasing the pace of progress towards equal representation for women among all neurology chairs in the United States. 

The AUPN is an organization for and by academic neurology’s leaders and it has served an important role during these challenging times.  It was my honor to be the President of the AUPN, but the most rewarding part of the job was being a part of this fellowship with all of you.  I look forward to even greater things from the AUPN in the years to come, and I thank you for the privilege of allowing me to serve.

Clifton L. Gooch, MD
AUPN President

Today’s Resource Links

AUPN's Leadership Minute #20: Putting the Burn on Burnout

Past AUPN Leadership Minutes

Subscribe to AUPN Leadership Minute Podcasts: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

AAMC Awards

ANA2022 Call for Abstracts

AUPN's Leading Edge Podcast: What Your CEO Wants From You

2022 WINTER WORKSHOP RECORDINGS

2022 Department Chairs and Program Director’s Forum

Program Director’s Workshop

Clerkship Director’s Workshop

Upcoming Events

SAVE THE DATE - AUPN Spring/Summer Educational Series

AUPN New Chairs Round Table (Formally the New Chairs Mentoring Session)  
Friday, May 6^th from 2pm-4pm CT / 3pm-5pm ET        

AUPN Spring Chairs Session: Simulations for Training in Neurology      
Friday, May 13^th from 2pm-4pm CT / 3pm-5pm ET      

AUPN Presents Women Leaders in Neurology       
Friday, June 10^th from 2pm-4pm CT / 3pm-5pm ET

Open Neurology Leadership Positions
Jackson VA Medical Center: Chief of Neurology
Henry Ford Health: Chair, Department of Neurology
Univ. of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio: Chair of Neurology