The province's first Academic Medicine and Health Services Program (AMHSP) for Alberta's practicing psychiatrists has now been officially launched, effective April 1st.
As detailed in previous issues of Connections, the launch follows more than a year of intense negotiations and detailed planning, followed by a series of Town Hall information meetings attended by Department of Psychiatry Faculty and Residents.
Dr. Alberto Choy, Associate Chair, Academic Affairs, in the Department of Psychiatry, has been deeply involved in planning for the launch of the AMHSP for well over a year. We asked Dr. Choy to provide a brief overview of the next steps in the rollout of the AMHSP. Here's an edited version of that conversation:
Q: Now that the April 1st launch date has arrived for Alberta's first Academic Medicine and Health Services Program (AMHSP) for practicing psychiatrists, can you tell us what the next steps are in this process?
A: Sure, so just to update you, we are hoping that the AMHSP job postings - which will be joint and parallel postings with Alberta Health Services (AHS) - will go up imminently. Once that happens, we'll work quickly so hopefully we can get applicants for these positions in front of the interview committees within a couple of weeks after that.
Q: So who sits on these interview committees?
A: The process involves both the University of Alberta and Alberta Health Services (AHS), each in a somewhat different fashion. So applicants will first need to go through the university's search and selection process, and then it's referred to AHS, which will conduct its own search and selection process.
Q: Why is it a two-step process?
A: Well, for AHS, obviously their domain of responsibility is on the service aspects of the position, while the university's mandate and interests are of course focused on its academic mission. So although it may seem like a bit of an extended process, it makes sense when we're bringing two different organizations together in order to run the Academic Medicine and Health Services Program.
It's also worth noting that the AMHSP is different from prior alternative funding programs. For most if not all of the previous programs, the head on the services side was also the head of the university department. So there are some unique wrinkles to this AMHSP in terms of how the process will actually roll out.
Q: Where exactly will the new AMHSP positions be posted?
A: On the AHS side, applicants would apply online at the following website: http://www.doctorjobsalberta.com/, and through the University of Alberta, the site is: https://www.careers.ualberta.ca/MedDent/
Q: So how many AMHSP job postings are we talking about?
A: We have funding for up to 20 AMHSP positions. Now, it's not clear to us as yet whether we're going to fill all 20 positions. But the level of interest that's been expressed so far is significant. So ideally, we could see 18 or even all 20 positions filled. But realistically, in terms of timing, it's likely going to be staged and we'll be bringing people on a few at a time, just because of the procedural issues involved.
Q: So you're saying this could take two or three months to roll out?
A: Yes.
Q: Is there anything else you want to clarify in terms of say, which areas the postings are likely to be in?
A: We came up with the postings based on joint meetings and discussions - and there were a number of them - focusing on the priority areas for both AHS and the university. As I mentioned, they have slightly different mandates that don't necessarily cross over 100 per cent. So it would make sense that they might have different priorities. But interestingly enough, in our discussions, it was amazing how well aligned AHS's service needs were with the discussions about the university's needs.
Q: I know you've been working hard on the launch of the AMHSP for well over a year now. So to use a sports analogy, does it feel like you're finally in the ninth inning of the game?
A: This might be the ninth inning, but then the playoffs start. If we were talking about hockey, the NHL playoffs don't wrap up until June. So I guess you could say we're about to start a whole different season now.
As detailed in previous issues of Connections, the launch follows more than a year of intense negotiations and detailed planning, followed by a series of Town Hall information meetings attended by Department of Psychiatry Faculty and Residents.
Dr. Alberto Choy, Associate Chair, Academic Affairs, in the Department of Psychiatry, has been deeply involved in planning for the launch of the AMHSP for well over a year. We asked Dr. Choy to provide a brief overview of the next steps in the rollout of the AMHSP. Here's an edited version of that conversation:
Q: Now that the April 1st launch date has arrived for Alberta's first Academic Medicine and Health Services Program (AMHSP) for practicing psychiatrists, can you tell us what the next steps are in this process?
A: Sure, so just to update you, we are hoping that the AMHSP job postings - which will be joint and parallel postings with Alberta Health Services (AHS) - will go up imminently. Once that happens, we'll work quickly so hopefully we can get applicants for these positions in front of the interview committees within a couple of weeks after that.
Q: So who sits on these interview committees?
A: The process involves both the University of Alberta and Alberta Health Services (AHS), each in a somewhat different fashion. So applicants will first need to go through the university's search and selection process, and then it's referred to AHS, which will conduct its own search and selection process.
Q: Why is it a two-step process?
A: Well, for AHS, obviously their domain of responsibility is on the service aspects of the position, while the university's mandate and interests are of course focused on its academic mission. So although it may seem like a bit of an extended process, it makes sense when we're bringing two different organizations together in order to run the Academic Medicine and Health Services Program.
It's also worth noting that the AMHSP is different from prior alternative funding programs. For most if not all of the previous programs, the head on the services side was also the head of the university department. So there are some unique wrinkles to this AMHSP in terms of how the process will actually roll out.
Q: Where exactly will the new AMHSP positions be posted?
A: On the AHS side, applicants would apply online at the following website: http://www.doctorjobsalberta.com/, and through the University of Alberta, the site is: https://www.careers.ualberta.ca/MedDent/
Q: So how many AMHSP job postings are we talking about?
A: We have funding for up to 20 AMHSP positions. Now, it's not clear to us as yet whether we're going to fill all 20 positions. But the level of interest that's been expressed so far is significant. So ideally, we could see 18 or even all 20 positions filled. But realistically, in terms of timing, it's likely going to be staged and we'll be bringing people on a few at a time, just because of the procedural issues involved.
Q: So you're saying this could take two or three months to roll out?
A: Yes.
Q: Is there anything else you want to clarify in terms of say, which areas the postings are likely to be in?
A: We came up with the postings based on joint meetings and discussions - and there were a number of them - focusing on the priority areas for both AHS and the university. As I mentioned, they have slightly different mandates that don't necessarily cross over 100 per cent. So it would make sense that they might have different priorities. But interestingly enough, in our discussions, it was amazing how well aligned AHS's service needs were with the discussions about the university's needs.
Q: I know you've been working hard on the launch of the AMHSP for well over a year now. So to use a sports analogy, does it feel like you're finally in the ninth inning of the game?
A: This might be the ninth inning, but then the playoffs start. If we were talking about hockey, the NHL playoffs don't wrap up until June. So I guess you could say we're about to start a whole different season now.