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| From left to right: Dr. Franklin Trimm, professor and vice chair of pediatrics; Dr. Benjamin Petty, family medicine resident on pediatric inpatient rotation. |
Dr. Franklin Trimm, professor and vice chair of pediatrics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, was recently selected as chair of the Association for Pediatric Program Directors’ (APPD) newly developed Program Director School.
Dr. Trimm, who has served as the residency program director for pediatrics at USA for 18 years, said the Program Director School will train both current and future program directors.
“In the past, serving as a residency program director was a stepping stone in one’s career,” he said. “Now, it is a role that is considered a long-term career choice because it takes time to learn all of the skills necessary. The skill set needed to be a pediatric residency program director is complex, and on-the-job training is the best way to learn.”
Including Dr. Trimm, seven program directors from around the country were selected to serve on the leadership council of the Program Director School.
“Helping others develop their abilities as an educator has been a part of my career for over 25 years,” Dr. Trimm said. “Being a leader of this national program is the perfect next step for my interests in medical education.”
As chair, Dr. Trimm will be responsible for establishing a curriculum and an evaluation program to ensure the program is accomplishing its goals. In addition, he will establish selection criteria for applicants, as well as a method to track the participants’ success in the future.
As the residency program director for pediatrics at USA, Dr. Trimm has helped develop and refine the core curriculum for residents. In addition, the program recently implemented a national policy that is intended to improved patient care.
“The policy limits the hours residents can work,” Dr. Trimm said. “This reduces errors by having more rested medical professionals. We must do our best effort at patient safety and the quality of residency education.”
Dr. Trimm said he will use his experiences at USA to inform others about the training process involved in being a successful program director.
“My hope is that I am able to inspire the next generation of program directors to become competent so future pediatricians trained in their programs can take care of children at the highest level possible,” he said. “It’s all about the patients.”
