COPAC
The mission of the Council of Program Administrators and Coordinators is to serve as a resource to share best practices and provide a forum for peer support for graduate medical education program administrators and coordinators in matters affecting medical education. COPAC’s emphasis is on information-sharing among colleagues in various specialties; understanding accreditation issues and the ACGME; effectively managing the ERAS and NRMP systems; and developing effective relationships with colleagues and resident physicians. AHME recognizes that residency and fellowship coordinators provide support that is integral to not only the operation, but to the success of residency training programs nationwide. In addition, COPAC is dedicated to providing program administrators and coordinators with opportunities for professional development through COPAC-directed presentations at the annual AHME Institute, the COPAC web page Digital Resources Library and annual webinars. In 2017, COPAC established COPAC Connections, a formal member-to-member mentoring program, a valuable resource to those new in the field.
Council Leadership
Chair: Kimberly Ranagan, C-TAGME
Lead Training Program Administrator, FM Academic Affairs
Northwell Health
New Hyde Park, NY
kranagan@northwell.edu
Chair-Elect: Elaine Danyew, C-TAGME
Senior Residency Program Coordinator
Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship
Adult Psychiatry Residency Program
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon, NH
elaine.r.danyew@hitchcock.org
Immediate Past-Chair: Melissa Molina, MBA, C-TAGME
Program Manager, Department of Surgery
NYU Langone Health
New York, NY
melissa.molina@nyulangone.org
Member-at-Large / Educational Initiatives Lead: Sadhvi Khanna, MBA, MPH
Assistant Director, Medical Education
Department of Anethesiology / Yale School of Medicine
sadhvi.khanna@yale.edu
Member-at-Large / Member Engagement & Communications: Caitlin Taylor, C-TAGME
Program Manager: IM Residency & Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship
Florida State University at Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Caitlin.Taylor@med.fsu.edu
Member Abstract Committee, COPAC Representative: Kelly Conlon, MS, C-TAGME
Director, Medical Education
Northwell Health, Eastern Region
kconlon@northwell.edu
Chairperson's Message
In Graduate Medical Education, we have all learned that the only thing that is constant is change! Whether you have been in the field of Graduate Medical Education for 20 years or just a few months, you realize you can’t get too comfortable with current requirements and expectations. Change is inevitable in Graduate Medical Education because we are training physicians to provide efficient, thorough and cost-effective care to patients in our communities. As an integral member of the GME team, we must also be prepared for change.
But do not worry! COPAC is here to help and support you through dedicated presentations at the annual institute, annual webinars and, new in 2017, COPAC Connection, a formal mentoring program. Your professional development is our priority.
As chair of COPAC, I and the entire Leadership Team encourage all residency and fellowship program administrators and coordinators to participate in this Council and contribute to its success. Please consider joining COPAC and sharing your ideas and strategies with each other across the nation. We really are building a community of GME experts, and we want YOU to be part of it! Your voice is important in this effort!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any leadership team member with suggestions, comments or questions. I look forward to meeting you and hope our paths will cross in the very near future!
Publications & Networking Opportunities
Council members have electronic access to valuable publications such as AHME News, Guide to Medical Education in the Teaching Hospital, Remediation of the Struggling Medical Learner, and the Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions as a member benefit.
The Council aims to build and strengthen the relationships among its members. It is a networking organization that capitalizes on AHME’s Institute, Academy, Teleconferences, AHME News, Guide to Medical Education in the Teaching Hospital, Remediation of the Struggling Medical Learner, the Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, Message Board, and Website to foster informal peer to peer relationships in order to facilitate the sharing of information, practical solutions, and best practices. The members of this council span both large and small institutions, and provide a wealth of resources to anyone involved in the administration or coordination of residency or fellowship programs across a range of specialties and subspecialties.
COPAC Connections, a formal member-to-member mentoring program, is a rewarding way for experienced program administrators to assist those new in the field. COPAC members are encouraged to become a part of this program as a way of advancing the effectiveness and professional satisfaction of residency program administrators.
The Council consists of members of the Association for Hospital Medical Education whose professional interests are in the leadership or administration of medical education programs at the institutional level. There is no additional charge, beyond AHME membership dues, for council membership.