Preface

Graduate medical education (GME) continues to evolve. During the past two decades, evidence-based approaches began to increasingly transform the way we educate, evaluate, and promote GME trainees. Key to this transformation is our ability to recognize that broadly defined "medical education" constitutes a true lifelong continuum, beginning with pre-medical education, then proceeding to medical school, residency (and potentially subsequent fellowship) training, and then finally the so-called maintenance of certification that continues throughout one's entire professional career.

This book touches upon various aspects of GME-specific innovation, beginning with an exploration of various challenges and opportunities associated with the modern graduate medical education environment. The reader is then introduced to the concept of "coping intelligence," a paradigm that builds on the framework of "emotional intelligence," and extends that paradigm into the realms of chronic and/or severe stress (often experienced by GME trainees). Within the latter context, the authors also discuss the importance of "work-life integration" as an extension of the traditionally understood "work-life balance."

The book then transitions into the topics of professional coaching and mentorship, which are critical components of an effective GME system, the transition-to-practice period, and the subsequent professional development and career-long learning paradigm. A further compendium then follows, dedicated primarily to mentorship and related areas, specifically as they relate to graduate medical education trainee experience. Taken together, these two chapters provide a solid foundation upon which readers can build their own professional support networks.

The importance of an excellent patient-provider relationship is highlighted in the subsequent chapter. Elements critical to establishing and maintaining excellent working clinical partnerships with patients and their families are presented. In addition, an in-depth discussion of the many benefits of a positive patient-practitioner relationship is provided, with emphasis on various successful initiatives, examples, and behaviors. The chapter also provides a practical correlation with directly relevant associated educational curricular elements and interventions during both medical and postgraduate medical education.

The book then transitions to a discussion of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its effects on medical education in general, with a specific focus on GME and various behavioral health aspects. Various strategies to address the challenges of coping with an overwhelming event, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, are presented. The topic of COVID-19 then continues into the subsequent chapter, with emphasis on the use of modern technologies and web-based approaches to facilitate residency and fellowship interviews during an active pandemic.

The next two chapters focus on topics directly related to GME program management. The first discusses the process of establishing new GME programs in a large teaching hospital setting. The second discusses the various challenges and

opportunities associated with residency program mergers, focusing on real-life examples and experiences. Different aspects and perspectives are incorporated in a balanced fashion, including those of residents, faculty, and program leadership.

The book concludes with two very important contributions, further expanding the scope of the current collection. The first chapter presents key aspects related to gender equity among physicians, focusing on academic general surgery as the primary area of discussion. The importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion is highlighted. The second chapter touches upon community-based medical education, with key components required for programmatic success outlined by the authors.

We hope that this structured collection of chapters on key GME topics will provide our readers with a solid foundation for further research in this important area, as well as powerful tools for professional growth and development. When commencing the work on the current book, it was our goal to create an innovative, high-quality platform that will become one of the "go-to references" for professionals navigating the complex landscape of modern GME.
