Secretary's Message
We hope to see you in the nation's capitol in May! The APA has numerous exciting events all year, but the highlight of the year is always the annual PAS meeting. Last year, the PAS meeting set a record for attendance, with more than 7000 pediatric professionals gathering in Boston. Our annual meeting in Washington D.C. from May 4-7 could prove to be even larger, as there is a great academic, educational program scheduled. And Washington D.C. is a fantastic city for a meeting. With thousands of abstracts submitted this year, there was a very competitive selection process and numerous APA members participated in review of research abstracts and workshop proposals. This year there will be quite a range of fascinating sessions of interest to researchers, teachers, mentors and trainees. I am certain there will be enticing choices for all.
In addition to the usual platform and poster sessions, some of the highlights of the upcoming PAS meeting include:
- The St. Geme Award at the Opening Ceremony, this year presented to Dr. Renee Jenkins (5/4)
- A session of "Speed Mentoring" to connect younger members of the APA with more senior mentors (5/4)
- The annual informative and entertaining APA Debate at the Membership Meeting (5/5)
- Late Breaker Session with cutting edge abstracts of importance
- Topic Symposia presented by the Federation of Pediatric Organizations (FOPO), which will provide a stepping stone for an upcoming Visioning Summit that may impact the future workforce in pediatrics (5/4 and 5/5)
- A 5K Run for Research (5/5)
- Core Curriculum for Fellows providing essential didactic sessions exclusively for fellows (5/3 -before the official meeting)
There will also be dozens of new and innovative workshops and the APA Special Interest Groups (SIGs) eagerly await their annual "get togethers" at the PAS meeting. Our SIGs are a very treasured part of the PAS meeting and many APA members look forward to the chance to network and discuss important issues with others who have similar interests and valuable experience. For details, check the schedule of events at the PAS website.
Perhaps the most important reason to come to the PAS meeting is for the opportunity to get together with colleagues. Connect with old friends; meet new collaborators at the poster sessions. Share some stories at your Regional Breakfast Meeting. Bring your co-workers; join your colleagues at one of the many receptions. Come and celebrate another great year with the APA!
Steven M. Selbst
Secretary
Academic Pediatric Association
sselbst@nemours.org
