The National Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) Consortium™ is excited to announce the formation of its Inaugural Trainee Council, a landmark initiative designed to foster the growth and development of trainees within the field of venous thromboembolism (VTE) care and The Consortium™ itself. This Council aims to create a multidisciplinary platform where trainees can collaborate, share insights, and inform The Consortium™ on issues pertinent to their career development.

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR SUCCESS

The Trainee Council’s establishment marks a significant milestone in The PERT Consortium™’s ongoing mission to support and develop the next generation of VTE specialists. Out of a large and excellent applicant pool, six inaugural members were selected for the 2024 class. In 2025 the council will be expanded to 12 members. All members will serve 2-year terms, with staggered appointments between the classes to ensure continuity and the integration of fresh perspectives.

Council members will gain invaluable experience and guidance under the mentorship of faculty leaders from The PERT Consortium™. These faculty members will be diverse members of several active committees, including the Board of Directors. This mentorship is pivotal in nurturing emerging talent and ensuring a bright future for the field of VTE and The Consortium™.

The Trainee Council has several core goals and objectives designed to enrich the trainee experience and contribute to the broader mission of The PERT Consortium™, which include:

  • Educational Program Development: Trainee Council members will collaborate with The Consortium™’s Executive and Committee leaders to develop resources and opportunities tailored specifically for trainees. This includes planning and executing educational events such as The Consortium™’s Physicians-in-Training Bootcamp, which takes place each year during the week of the Annual PE Scientific Symposium. Member input will be instrumental in guaranteeing that future iterations of the Bootcamp remain focused on the needs of physicians in training and include novel content each year. Trainees will also assist in the development of and participate in several PERT Webinars and PERTCast podcasts, specifically designing a webinar targeted to trainees. In addition to gaining planning experience, they will also have opportunities to be speakers during these educational events.
  • Trainee Engagement and Dissemination: The Council will be instrumental in producing trainee-specific articles and announcements for The PERT Consortium™, ensuring that our current global trainee audience remains well-informed and engaged, while simultaneously growing the audience interested in VTE care and The Consortium™. Council members will also have an opportunity to engage trainees at The PERT Consortium™ Annual Meeting, encouraging participation in trainee-focused educational programs and in committee membership. Council members will also actively promote The Consortium™’s initiatives and events on social media, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. Through social media, Trainee Council members will continue to engage the medical community throughout the year.
  • Promoting Diversity and Inclusion: A steadfast commitment to fostering an environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion is paramount. The Council aims to recruit members who are diverse in terms of ethnicity, gender, geographic location, and specialty. We believe that by creating an inclusive environment we will be able to meet the needs of many trainees interested in venous thromboembolic disease across specialties and countries. The Council will work to uphold these values within its operations and among the broader trainee membership.
  • Program Management and Professional Development: By organizing the Physicians-in-Training Bootcamp, PERT Webinars and PERTCast Podcasts, the Council will gain valuable leadership, networking, communication, resource utilization, and time management skills. Trainee Council events will be supervised by PERT Consortium™ faculty members who have expertise in these domains and will provide mentorship to Council members. These skills will not only prove useful to escalate to faculty leadership positions with The PERT Consortium™ but also within their home institutions, hospitals, and clinical departments. By creating an inclusive environment, trainees will gain experience in cultural responsiveness and fostering equitable opportunities for all trainee members.
  • Committee Service: Trainees will also be appointed to full membership on various active PERT Committees, acting as liaisons to represent trainee needs and perspectives, as well as the goals of the Trainee Council. We have no doubt that their insight will provide unique and invaluable feedback to each PERT Committee. Committee work will again afford trainees the opportunity to network with PE experts and faculty leaders within The PERT Consortium™. Trainees will become the common link for several programs that intersect committees, such as PERT Webinars which are a joint venture between the Education and Communications committees, among others.
  • Research: With a focus on diversity-centered research, trainees will work under the mentorship of PERT Consortium™ leadership faculty. Council members will develop a hypothesis and clinical question that focus on the following issues: outcomes disparities of patients from underrepresented and minority populations, social determinants of health, accessibility to advanced PE therapies, and diversity among PE care providers.

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION OF THE INAUGURAL PERT CONSORTIUM™ TRAINEE COUNCIL

Trainees with a strong interest in VTE who exhibit leadership qualities, organizational skills, and are role models for their peers are encouraged to apply. Eligible applicants must be entering or continuing in a fellowship training program through the forthcoming academic year. Medical students and PhD students with a strong interest or a research focus in VTE are encouraged to apply. To ensure accountability, Trainee Council candidates will be asked to provide a letter of recommendation from their program director, research, or clinical mentor.

Eligible training programs include but are not limited to: anesthesia, cardiovascular disease, cardiothoracic surgery, critical care medicine, emergency medicine, hematology, hospital medicine, internal medicine, interventional cardiology, interventional radiology, medical students, pediatrics and subspecialities, PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, pharmacy students and residents, pulmonary disease, radiology, surgery, vascular medicine, and vascular surgery.

The selection process involves a thorough review of the candidates’ application and an interview with two members of the Board of Directors or a faculty leader within The PERT Consortium™. After this rigorous process, six candidates were selected as the Inaugural PERT Consortium™ Trainee Council Members (see Sidebar).

Inaugural PERT Consortium™ Trainee Council Members

Dinu-Valentin Balanescu, MD
Cardiovascular Diseases Fellow
Mayo Clinic

Jane Ehret, MD
Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellow
University of Vermont Medical Center

Lynden Lee, MD
Interventional Radiology Resident
UCLA Medical Center

Billy Joe Mullinax, MD
Cardiovascular Diseases Fellow
Emory University Medical Center

Akash Patel, MD, MBA
Cardiovascular Diseases Fellow
University of Chicago

Ibrahim Zahid, MD
Resident Physician Internal Medicine
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine

The Council members have already completed their orientation and gotten to work! After preliminary monthly meetings this spring and summer, they will meet in person at The PERT Consortium™ Annual Scientific Symposium in September in Boston, Massachusetts. At this meeting, they will vote on a Council Chair and focus on creating an outline of additional objectives for the year. They will also begin work on their research proposals along with ideas for PERT Webinars and PERTCast podcasts.

EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION AND LOOKING FORWARD

The creation of the Trainee Council is a testament to The PERT Consortium™’s commitment to empowering the next generation of VTE specialists. Council members will have the opportunity to network with peers, committee members, and executive leadership, deepening their understanding of VTE and the field’s ongoing scientific advancements.

Establishing the Trainee Council is pivotal in nurturing emerging talent and driving innovation in VTE care. As the Council grows and evolves, it will continue to be a cornerstone of trainee development, ensuring excellence and advancement in VTE research and treatment.

We are excited for our inaugural Trainee Council members and are excited for the anticipated growth of the program to the full complement of twelve members in 2025. We are confident that these trainees will one day be leaders of the field and within The PERT Consortium™.

Kathryn McGregor, BSE
Program Manager
The PERT Consortium™
Disclosures: None.

Jamie Reed, BS, MS
Director of Education and Research
The PERT Consortium™
Disclosures: None.

James M. Horowitz, MD, FACC, FAHA, FCCP
Assistant Chief of Service, Cardiology
Director, Critical Care Cardiology
Director, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
NYU Langone Health
New York, New York
james.horowitz@nyulangone.org
@jameshorowitzMD
Disclosures: Board member for The PERT Consortium™; steering committee, PEERLESS (Inari Medical), EXTRACT-PE (Penumbra, Inc.); national Co-Principal investigator, FLAME (Inari Medical); clinical events committee, PE-TRACT.

Frances Mae West, MD, MS, FACP
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship
Co-Director, Internal Medicine Point-of-Care Ultrasound Fellowship
Co-Director, JeffPERT; Jefferson’s Pulmonary Embolism Response Team
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
frances.west@jefferson.edu
@FMaeWestMD
Disclosures: Board member for The PERT Consortium™; steering committee member for STRIKE-PE (Penumbra, Inc.); sub-investigator for PEERLESS and Global Co-principal Investigator for PEERLESS II (Inari Medical), sub-investigator for PE-TRACT.