Cultivating the multiple sclerosis workforce of the future

Authors

Gabriele C. DeLuca, University of Oxford
Guy Buckle, Shepherd Center
Irene Cortese, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Jennifer S. Graves, UCSF Benioff Children‘s Hospital
June Halper, Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers
Scott D. Newsome, Johns Hopkins University
Nancy Sicotte, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Corey C. Ford, UNM Health Sciences Center
Sudhir Aggarwal, Hahnemann University Hospital
Thandar Aung, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center
Scott Belliston, University of Kansas Health System
Idanis Berrios-Morales, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Miguel Mielo Bicchi, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Alison Daigle, Rhode Island Hospital
Jaclyn Rosencutter Duval, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Evdokia Eleftheriou, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Carla Marina Francisco, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Jose Luis Gonzalez, University of Miami
Tirisham Gyang, University of Rochester Medical Center
Michelle Hadden-Young, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Yasir Jassam, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Demetrio Konstas, University of South Florida, Tampa
Marisa McGinley, Loyola University Medical Center
Nik Haliza NikHassan, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Maryam Nabavi Nouri, Hospital for Sick Children University of TorontoFollow
Viviana Ivonne Orozco-Leon, Universidad de Puerto Rico
Veronica Penyak, McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University
Fahed Saada, University of Florida
Meagan Seay, Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2017

Journal

International Journal of MS Care

Volume

19

Issue

3

First Page

123

Last Page

130

URL with Digital Object Identifier

10.7224/1537-2073.2015-068

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex neurologic disorder that affects people with ever-changing needs. The MS health-care field has entered an era of exponential knowledge growth in which better understanding of the immunologic dysregulation of the disease has translated into an expanding array of treatment options. It is estimated that, if it has not already, within the next decade the demands of a growing MS patient population will outstrip the number of professionals dedicated to the management of this chronic, lifelong disease. Therefore, there is a pressing need to attract and retain clinicians in this dynamic field. In response to this need, the Foundation of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers organized a 2-day colloquium, a Mentorship Forum, on January 23-24, 2015, bringing together talented internal medicine and neurology trainees from across North America with an interest in MS and neuroimmunology. This article highlights the rationale for the MS Mentorship Forum, its structure and content, and its outcomes. We believe that the stage has been set to interest young, promising clinicians in learning more about MS and to encourage them to consider a career in this field. In so doing, we hope to contribute to the development of the next generation of MS experts to make a palpable difference in the lives of those affected by MS.