FOPO, FOPE II and the Future

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The Federation of Pediatric Organizations (FOPO) was incorporated in 1998 to enhance communication and cooperation among its members: the Ambulatory Pediatric Association (APA), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), the American Pediatric Society (APS), the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC), the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD), and the Society for Pediatric Research (SPR). The leaders of these organizations constitute the voting Board of the FOPO, which meets twice a year. These meetings are also now attended by a representative from the Committee on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP), the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the Chief Executive of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI).

In January 2000, a report entitled The Future of Pediatric Education II (FOPE II) was published after extensive discussion, fact finding, and analysis within the pediatric community and with others concerned with the health and well-being of children.¹ The 42 broad recommendations in this report laid the foundation for transforming many of the unprecedented challenges facing pediatrics into opportunities to improve the health and well-being of children.

One of the recommendations was to establish a full-time position, Executive Chair of the Pediatric Education Steering Committee (PESC). The role of this Chair is to facilitate the member organizations in their implementation of the recommendations and in meeting ongoing and new challenges to the health of children that are brought to the attention of the Board. I was appointed to this position in 2001 with a 5-year term, and, subsequently, the FOPO Board delegated additional executive administrative responsibilities for the FOPO to the Chair.

Significant progress has been made by the members of FOPO, individually and in concert, in implementing almost all of the FOPE II recommendations. The following are some examples:

In addition, the APPD established the Tunnersen Consultation Program to assist residency programs in addressing curricular and program requirements, including career counseling and mentorship. The APPD is also working with programs to develop functional individual learning plans for residents that naturally transition to the ABP’s Program for Maintenance of Certification in Pediatrics (PMCP). This is closely coordinated with related AAP activities, for example, the PediaLink Residents Corner Working Group, eQIPP.

In many instances, the implementation of the FOPE II recommendations are ongoing activities often involving interactions with public authorities and private institutions outside the pediatric community as well as activities and programs of the members of the Federation. However, this is occurring in a changing environment.

Embodied in the recommendations is the recognition that the health needs of children and youth now and in the future require continued improvement in the education of pediatricians as clinicians, teachers, and scientists.

The significant changes in patient care, the organization and funding of health services, and the scientific and technologic advances related to medicine that prompted the FOPE II project are continuing with substantial impact on pediatric practice, the pediatric research community, and the education of physicians committed to caring for children and youth. In addition, substantial changes in pediatric education at all levels may need to be made over the next decade in response to:

The Board of the FOPO has decided that in view of the foregoing issues, the first task of a newly established Executive Director for the FOPO will be to lead the member organizations in developing a strategic plan for the future activities of the Federation. This will undoubtedly require a vision for the future, wisdom, good judgment, and a willingness to take carefully considered risks in deciding how to address the many diverse external factors that may impact the development of health services for children and the education of pediatricians. This process will occur, fortunately, in parallel and in coordination with the Residency Review and Redesign Program initiated by the American Board of Pediatrics Foundation. This project is also focusing on many of the FOPE II recommendations related to pediatric education. It presents a unique opportunity for the pediatric community and the FOPO to address, in particular, graduate pediatric education within the context of the full spectrum of pediatric educational programs.

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Reference 

1. The Future of Pediatric Education II: organizing pediatric education to meet the needs of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults in the 21^st century. Pediatrics. 2000;105:163–212
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