Answering the Call: Anisha Dua, MD, MPH, Looks Ahead to New Role on Committee on Training

Enhancing the field of rheumatology and care of patients by helping to continuously improve the education and training of adult and pediatric rheumatology trainees is central to the work of the ACR’s Committee on Training (COT). New COT Chair Anisha Dua, MD, MPH, has made education a central focus in her career, taking time to build her skills as an educator and lead multiple education initiatives. She’s also created several major training resources for the College.

Dr. Dua

In her practice, Dr. Dua is a professor of medicine, fellowship program director and director of the Vasculitis Center within the Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago. As new chair of COT, she says, “I hope to use this position to make tangible changes and advances that will benefit trainees broadly in rheumatology.” Among other committee goals, she’s eager to move forward to streamline current content, develop targeted, valuable learning opportunities and collaborate with other branches of the College.

Dr. Dua recently shared with The Rheumatologist how she will bring her skills and experience to advance the collaborative work of the COT.

The Rheumatologist (TR): Why were you interested in becoming chair of the Committee on Training?

Dr. Dua: I am passionate about training our workforce, including medical students, residents, advanced practice providers, fellows and peers. I’ve worked with the ACR, the Rheumatology Research Foundation (RRF) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in various capacities to introduce innovations in these areas. I had the honor of contributing to the COT as a volunteer member from 2016–2019 and have been motivated by the impactful work of this committee. Since my time as a volunteer, I’ve gained valuable experiences leading initiatives in the training space that have inspired and equipped me to chair this incredibly collaborative group.

TR: What skills and experience do you bring to your latest volunteer role within the ACR?

Dr. Dua: I have been highly involved in educational initiatives and leadership roles within the ACR. I served as chair of the In-Training Exam Task Force and the E-Learning Subcommittee to advance and streamline virtual educational content. I’ve also co-chaired the Workforce Solutions Education and Training Team to develop rheumatology education supporting primary RRF.

I completed a fellowship in medical education at The University of Chicago and launched and chaired the Virtual Rheumatology Program for Fellows in Training (V-FIT) during the COVID pandemic to create a virtual, accessible forum for continued didactic education nationally. I am currently a Clinician Scholar Educator Awardee, working to develop a curriculum to teach rheumatology fellows introductory skills on becoming effective teachers through Rheum2Teach. I participated in the AGCME taskforce to develop the new rheumatology subspecialty milestones that serve as an assessment tool for all fellows in training.