Electronic Summer 2025 | Issue 63

Reflections from Rising ECP Committee Chair

By: Daniel Wasserman, MD

As the newly appointed Chair of the Early Career Psychiatrists (ECP) group for the Illinois Psychiatric Society (IPS), I feel both honored and excited to become more involved in this vital committee. The ECP group fosters a community of psychiatrists in the early stages of their careers, typically within the first several years after completing residency. The primary goal of the ECP committee is to be a supportive and engaging community for early career psychiatrists to network, collaborate, and further develop professionally. Our hope is to recognize the unique challenges and needs that are encountered by those transitioning from residency training to independent practice. Through our group, we strive to offer resources, mentorship, and an overall platform for networking among peers, colleagues, and more seasoned professionals within the IPS. Through social gatherings, advocacy initiatives, and educational events, the ECP group creates an environment where the voices and different perspectives of its members are heard and valued within the broader landscape of our specialty in Illinois. 

My hope is that together we can empower our peers to thrive in their careers and contribute more meaningfully to the field of psychiatry. I aspire to see more mentorship among our early career community, as well as establishing mentorship with those still in residency. Another goal would be to cultivate a knowledge base for topics that are not always covered during residency, such as navigating different practice models. I envision expanding our advocacy efforts in order to ensure the various concerns of ECPs are better represented within the IPS as well as the broader policy issues that impact mental healthcare in Illinois. 

These goals, of course, are not without their challenges. One obstacle is engaging such a diverse group of psychiatrists, given their varied practice settings, subspecialties, and geographic location in Illinois. Additionally, the demanding practice responsibilities alone typically leaves scarce time for participation in any professional organization. However, through our ECP WhatsApp group, we are able to overcome some of these challenges by staying connected on a more regular basis and even utilize online polls for deciding on dates and locations for our events and gatherings. We will continue to solicit feedback from our members as we strive to improve for the evolving needs. My ultimate desire is that all of us, together, can help to build a stronger, more robust ECP community that is prepared to meet the demands of mental health care and that we continue to cultivate a thriving and supportive network for the next generation of psychiatric leaders.