Reflection from a 2025 AAGP Honors Scholar
As part of PRMS’ ongoing commitment to behavioral health, we are pleased to feature Dr. Johnice Littlejohn, fourth-year psychiatry resident in the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker School of Medicine Resident Training Program and Honors Scholar with the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP), as a featured guest blogger this month. Dr. Littlejohn shares why she chose to enter the field of geriatric psychiatry and reflects on her experience attending the 2025 AAGP Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.
Dr. Nery Diaz, AAGP Scholars Program Vice Chair; Dr. Johnice Littlejohn; and Tonya Davies, RPLU, PRMS Chief Operating Officer, at the 2025 AAGP Annual Meeting
Discovering My Calling During Psychiatry Residency
Growing up, my grandparents played a tremendous role in my upbringing. Every summer, my sister and I would spend our days at their house to enjoy their company and glean from the wisdom of life lessons from their days gone by. Their love and support throughout the years allowed me to appreciate the impactful influence the older generation has had on our world, today. Fast forward to my years in psychiatry residency, my appreciation for the elderly continued to flourish as I found my rotations on the geriatric psychiatry unit the most rewarding. Sitting and listening to the stories of my geriatric patients allowed me to continue to gain different perspectives from those who are often ignored in society, but still have so much to contribute to it. It also allowed me to pay homage to my grandparents who have since passed on. Throughout all of this, I wondered if a career in geriatric psychiatry was in my future.
Attending the 2024 AAGP Annual Meeting: A Turning Point
In 2024, I was able to attend the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) Annual Meeting. Since it was my first time attending, I was unaware of the Scholars Program, but I was encouraged to apply for next year’s Program because of the opportunities it could provide. When the application window opened for the 2025 Program, I wasted no time to jump on this opportunity and was elated to find out I had been accepted to participate.
The Power of Mentorship and Scholarly Growth
While participating in the 2025 AAGP Scholars Program, I was able to immerse myself in the field and see what my future could look like. We spent the day networking with other residents and medical students interested in pursuing a career in geriatric psychiatry and learning about various career paths one could take with the additional training of a geriatric psychiatry fellowship. The options were surprisingly vast! I was also able to connect with a mentor who will not only guide me through the process of applying to a fellowship, but also assist me with my scholarly project that I have the pleasure of presenting at next year’s Annual Meeting taking place April 16-20 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia.
None of this would have been possible without the generous support provided by Professional Risk Management Services. This scholarship allowed me to have an amazing experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Thank you to PRMS for affording me this wonderful opportunity.
If you have any questions or are interested in receiving a quote, contact PRMS at (800) 245-3333 or TheProgram@prms.com.