Thursday, June 2, 2016

Dr. Trimm Named President of APPD

Dr. R. Franklin Trimm, professor and vice chair of pediatrics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and a pediatrician with USA Physicians Group, was named president of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD).

Dr. Trimm served in the organization for 25 years before his appointment as president and describes it as “a professional development organization for individuals involved with residency graduate education programs.” APPD assists pediatric programs across the nation by leading the advancement of education to ensure the health and well-being of children. It includes approximately 800 fellowships and more than 200 pediatric programs in the United States.

“It’s been a professional home. It’s a reminder why we do what we do,” said Dr. Trimm, who has directed the pediatric residency training program at USA almost 23 years. He credits APPD for its extensive networking opportunities and for fostering leadership skills in graduate medical education professionals. He personally helped shape the organization’s approach to leadership training when APPD selected him to manage a team tasked with designing a leadership training curriculum for residency program directors. He also assisted with evaluating the effectiveness of other trainers.

As president, Dr. Trimm plans to continue shaping the organization with his vision for the future. In addition to serving as chair of the board of directors and spokesperson for APPD, he is directly responsible for fulfilling the organization’s strategic plan. “One of four points in our strategic plan is to prepare pediatricians to work within a new health care system. We want to lead the way to define the future of pediatricians,” he said.

Dr. Trimm will continue developing APPD’s role as a professional home where networking and leadership skills create new opportunities. He describes the USA College of Medicine as a medium-sized organization and residency program. “Typically, leadership comes from larger institutions. As the USA College of Medicine continues to gain national recognition, it will continue to gain recognition as an institution able to serve that leadership role.”

Dr. Trimm earned his medical degree and completed his residency training at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, Calif. He specializes in developmental-behavior pediatrics. Click here for more information about Dr. Trimm.