AAPM&R Annual Conference 2023: How to improve your experience.

From Left to right: Dr. Lozada, Dr. Bernardi, Dr. Bonilla, Dr. Arias and Dr. De la Rosa.

It’s the time of year to share with your family, that is, your Physiatry family, at the Annual AAPM&R Conference. The conference was in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it did not disappoint!

It was my second in-person conference; find last year’s review here. The conference started with a more robust fellowship and job fair. The president’s welcome and plenary sessions were very engaging and should be high on your list to attend. The party at the Super Dome provided a relaxed atmosphere filled with live music and tasty food in a casual setting to share with your colleagues and loved ones. 

Attending the annual conference might be overwhelming, so below are some tips that helped me navigate.

  1.  Plan: Take a moment the night before or while enjoying your morning coffee to find the exciting sessions you want to learn more about. Time at the conference accelerates, especially when balancing networking, catching up with colleagues, and interacting with the companies. 
  2. Skills Labs. It’s a great way to learn something new. This year, I attended the Adaptive Sports Medicine Skills lab. It was composed of two sessions of six small group discussions. The first session explained various adaptive sports, including wheelchair rugby, tennis, basketball, ice hockey, and cycling. The second session focused on roleplaying six different case scenarios that one might find when covering adaptive sports. 
  3. Attend the Fellowship and Job fair. This event is a prime way to get to know employers and programs. The first year, I was more timid. However, it served as a springboard so that this time, I knew which questions to ask and what to look for in each place. Additionally, you get to know others who are on similar career tracks. 
  4. Conferences: What usually happens is that multiple interesting conferences co-occur. I attend the one that is particularly interesting or something I know very little about, which an in-person conference may help me understand. Or I often choose the non-recorded sessions if that doesn’t break the tie. If that doesn’t work, a senior conference member suggested sitting for 10-15 mins on one; if it doesn’t captivate you, go to the other one. Additionally, some sessions offer slides that you can download.  
  5. Attend the party: This year, it was at the Super Dome, accompanied by great food and music. They had an activity center where you could run football drills. It was great to see everyone in a more casual and relaxed environment. 
  6. Food: The downside would be the provided lunch: a small wrap/sandwich with chips and cookie/pastry. We need more nutritious options to balance the amount of learning we are doing. On the bright side, it allows us a moment to leave the convention to experience the local cuisine. 
  7. Townhall and Business meeting: These are two crucial meetings to attend no matter what year in your career you are in. We get to see the focus shared by our colleagues and academy and possibly a way to help. It’s a kin to getting the pulse of our field. As an early career physiatrist, I can see what our academy has been fighting for up until now and see what presently is on the minds of my colleagues. AAPM&R has an advocacy group check out what they are up to here
  8. Participate in the 5k. Seeing my colleagues early in the morning and watching the sunrise across the Mississippi River was a treat. 
  9. Puerto Rican Physiatrist first meeting: Below is a picture of the first meeting of our member community, which is found in PhyzForums. It was good to see everyone at our initial meeting. I can’t wait till the next one. 
Puerto Rican Physiatrist at AAPM&R 2023 Annual Conference:
Our first In-Person Community Meeting.

Random Pics

Adaptive Sports Skills Lab 2023

TLDR:

  • Sign up to become a member at AAPM&R. If you are a student, it is free; if you are a resident/fellow or early career physician, enjoy a discounted rate; even if you are a seasoned practitioner, membership provides many benefits. 
  • Plan each day. Watch for recorded sessions to see them later if scheduling conflicts exist.
  • Sign up for a skills lab or participate in the many hands-on sessions in the Pavillon. 
  • Attend the Town hall and Business meetings. They give you a pulse on the academy’s current and future directions. 
  • Network. It is amazing how small our community is. Be bold and ask how you can become involved. 

See you in San Diego on November 06-10 2024 ! Stay tuned for more information and to register here.

Hope you learned something.

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