This is my livenotes story for the Identifying the Best Partners and Best Practices to Cultivate and Solicit Former Medical Residents and Fellows session at AAMC GIA 2016.

I am particularly interested in this topic because at Duke I'm focused on engaging the former trainees of the Department of Medicine.

Speaking first is Lawrence A. Schachner, MD, former chair of dermatology and now development director at Miami University.

1. One of the best hooks on former residents is new residents. Also crazy about beloved mentors. And current chairs. 
2. They give ... because they like being part of a community.
3. They don't give ... because no one asked, or no one followed up (hand off to the professional development officers).
4. Trainees 5 years out should be prime donors. Beloved mentors are important. Trainees are tremendously proud of where they trained.
5. Develop a residents and fellows list. Yep. Organize by age groups, subspecialty groups, ethnic groups, former chiefs. Buy list from AMA for a few thousand dollars.
6. Invite former residents (especially those in or around your community) to be mentors to current residents
7. Organize a "night of science" - lab leaders give 5-minute talks about what their lab works on and needs to be able to work on next. Include alumni and local philanthropists. Also invite alumni to resident research day. Need to do this for Duke events.
8. Adopt a resident, e.g. for research, or travel.
9. Stress how residents are benefitting from philanthropy.
10. Current residents should be invited to 'give what you can', participate in departmental conferences and meet junior faculty.
11. Invite alumni to grand rounds (or watch), and to present if they have expertise or niche.

Now Kate Wayne from UC San Diego:

1. First challenge was figuring how to get in touch with former trainees. Database had most as still at institution.
2. Work with departments/divisions.
3. When UCSD built new hospital wing, was opportunity to get former trainees to give to name rooms after beloved mentors.

Mario Peraza from UCSF:

1. Invite former residents to any and all events.
2. Celebrate alums as being graduates of the training programs.
3. Scaling important, so created a handbook, to give programs information about how to best engage alumni, plan events.
4. Challenge: data! Didn't know who alums were. Getting lists from departments/divisions. Get info now from HR on current trainees.
5. Challenge: getting former trainees to events. But at professional meetings and conferences, working with specialties on where they are going.
6. Success: informing them that they are alums! Sent a letter: "you are an alum, want you to be part of the community." Included a pin (swag).
7. Alumni road show (school of medicine alumni), with at least one former trainee included as one of the hosts of the event.
8. Award ceremony, at university's 150th anniversary, included former trainees as part of the alumni awards to celebrate wide range of contributions. Nominations were 150-word limit, diversity of winners.
9. UCSF paying attention to their career ...
10. Current trainees: welcome gifts, graduate gifts, set message that they are part of the larger family of trainees and alumni.

Questions

1. What if departments/divisions won't give up their lists? Work through GME. Build those relationships. Have senior leaders demand/explain.
2. How to connect with former trainees from a long time ago. Work with the chief residents, those key leaders who brought each class together.
3. About AMA data: lots of info for each person, for just $3500.
4. Put Doximity on your radar, aggregates hundreds of sources of information.
5. Survey graduating trainees each June, about plans, personal milestones (marriage, kids, etc.) and expectations on keeping informed about the program. Incentives! Chance to win Southwest Airlines gift cards for completing survey.
6. OSU: white coat program?
7. Example from audience: Alum to give $1 million, to be matched, but 30 day limit. Called physicians, many who previously didn't collaborate with development. Campaign was success. Dept was ortho surgery.
8. Track referring patients, i.e. former trainees who refer patients back to institution.
9. What about Match Day? Former trainees, in the area of matched institution, call person to welcome them. (Unclear how to apply this at DukeDOM.)

This was a very good session.