I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you’re like me, this is your favorite time of the year. Not only do we get to celebrate the holidays, but we finally get a little taste of “cold” weather. Not quite as cold as Denver was for ACEP19, but at least we got a break from the Florida heat.

As we roll into the second half of the year, continue to put forth your best effort and work hard. Our job is pretty cool, and I thank you for what you do. I want to encourage you to try and make it to EM Days on January 27-29 in Tallahassee. I went last year and it is an enlightening experience. As a resident or medical student, you are paired up with practicing physicians who are well informed of the issues at hand, and it allows you to see advocacy in action. Every year, there is a list of hot issues which are addressed. A few issues to be addressed this year include scope of practice for APP’s/pharmacists, reimbursement and treatment of opioid addiction. You can read more about these issues in this issue’s Government Affair’s report.

Finally, I want to encourage you to get involved with EMRAF and FCEP. With 18 residency programs, we are looking for more interested members to share their ideas. Getting involved is a great way to network with future employers, make new friends, make changes in your area of interest, and develop leadership skills. I welcome your input anytime. Please email me at Mbeattie221@gmail.com if you have any ideas or questions. ■