Gerald F. DiBona,MD AFCR President,1978–1979

I was involved in the American Federation for Clinical Research (AFCR) from 1973–1979 (National Councillor 1973–77; President Elect 1977–78; President 1978–79). At that time there was an age limit for membership in AFCR and it was realized that this was limiting to those with external social or family commitments that interrupted their academic careers. During my Presidency, the By-Laws were altered to accommodate those individuals by proportional extension of the upper age limit.

At the annual tri-society meeting, held in Washington, DC, May, 1979, in the absence of any prior discussion among us, the three Presidential Addresses focused on the decline in MD and MD/PhD clinical investigators. In my case, I was able to use longitudinal data on research interest surveys from medical students at the University of Iowa College of Medicine which was in close agreement with that available from the American Medical Student Association.

My involvement in the AFCR widened my contact with academic clinical investigators, not only in the AFCR but also in both the ASCI (member 1977) and the AAP (member 1981). Having immediately prior to my AFCR Presidential year taken on the combined tasks of Vice Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine and Chief, Medical Service, Iowa City VA Medical Center, the AFCR experience provided helpful insight into the inner workings of academic and health care related structures.

Four months following the end of my Presidential year, I began a sabbatical year in Norway and Sweden during which I met my wife.