#ACGME2020 Registration is Open! What’s New? What’s Updated? What Do You Need to Know before Registering?
Registration is officially open for #ACGME2020 – the 2020 ACGME Annual Educational Conference, taking place in San Diego, California February 27-29. Building on the foundation established at last year’s event, the theme for 2020 is Meaning In Medicine: Compassion and Connection. This theme will underpin the entire conference and provide a framework for attendees to reflect on and learn about how the practice of medicine can promote affirming and vital bonds with patients, clinicians, and others in medical education. As one the largest gatherings of graduate medical educators worldwide, the conference presents a truly unique opportunity to grow, learn, and connect with colleagues over inspiring topics relevant to the meaning that brought you to medicine.
So What’s New in 2020?
In short, a lot! Plan for packed days of invigorating, inspiring education and networking. With 145 sessions, presented by 300 speakers, there won’t be much downtime. The conference takes place at two hotels this year, but they are walkably close to each other, and the schedule is designed to ensure your “commute” won’t disrupt your experience. Sessions are also shorter this year, allowing for more content in fewer days – the conference runs from Thursday (pre-conferences) through Saturday evening, with exciting opportunities throughout. A major new addition this year is a reduced registration rate for residents and fellows. We know resident and fellow attendees can get so much out of the Annual Educational Conference, but we also know how much their participation will add to it.
The conference is ending one day earlier in 2020 than in past years, but attendees will want to stay through the end. We’ve added a Closing Plenary to our agenda, featuring Dr. Eric Topol on the future of medicine and how AI will change the field. And a concluding Toast on the Terrace will bring attendees and staff members together one final time to cap off the Conference. The Keynote and Closing Plenary speakers will also be signing books after their talks; purchase their bestselling books at the first ever bookstore in our Exhibit Hall!
One last addition we want to highlight is the new mentor/mentee program. One of the great opportunities at the Annual Educational Conference is the chance to connect with members of the GME community from all over the world. This year we encourage attendees to take it a step further and find a mentor and/or mentee at the conference. Participation in this program is attendee-generated. Indicate your interest during registration—those who opt in will be able to locate mentor/mentee meeting spots on the Conference Mobile App.
What’s Different?
If you’ve been to a recent ACGME conference, you’re likely already familiar with these features. Be sure not to miss the #ACGME2020 version!
- San Diego – this beautiful southern California city offers a huge variety of things to see and do outside the conference itself. Take advantage. Check out the conference materials for some suggestions and enjoy!
- Ribbon Wall – get ready for some new self-identifiers and conversation starters to help build connections throughout the week!
- New Exhibit Hall scavenger hunt – last year’s Discover the Doc hunt was so much fun we’re bringing it back! Stay tuned for details!
- The ACGME Hub in the Exhibit Hall – come for consultations w/Milestones and ACGME-I staff members, as well as new ACGME Spotlights, where attendees can get to know more about the ACGME Field Activities and Distance Learning teams and meet these staff members face to face. Feel free to stop by and ask questions about the accreditation or recognition site visit process or to learn more about the ACGME’s new online learning portal, Learn at ACGME, and other distance learning opportunities.
- Well-being activities – yoga and running/walking groups will again be available for attendees to reset and recharge before and after a day at the conference.
- As previously mentioned, the conference is ending one day earlier (on Saturday evening) than in previous years – stay for a toast with attendees and staff members and take advantage of a family-focused movie night at the Hilton Saturday night!
- As always, get ready for an inspiring Marvin R. Dunn Keynote Address – Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha is the pediatrician who spearheaded efforts to research, publicize, and fix the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. She’ll sit down with ACGME President and CEO Dr. Thomas J. Nasca for a special fireside chat.
- Pre-identified role-focused learning tracks – available during registration process, these will populate to show registrants a list of sessions that might be of interest based on their role in graduate medical education.
- Robust registration site – the conference website includes full details, additional resources and links, helpful tips for new and seasoned attendees, downloadable templates to use to present the value of attendance when seeking funding to attend, and much more!
- Conference Mobile App – with loads of features to enhance attendees’ conference experience, we’ll share updates and download information closer to the conference itself.
Over the course of three days, attendees of the 2020 ACGME Annual Educational Conference will network with designated institutional officials (DIOs), faculty members, program directors, coordinators, residents, fellows, and others in GME from across the US and the world who are passionate about education and collaboration. This is a great opportunity for enriching professional development, but also a unique experience for making lasting connections.
In the coming months, we’ll share more details and updates to get you excited about the 2020 ACGME Annual Educational Conference, here on the ACGME Blog, on our website, and on our social media accounts on Twitter and LinkedIn. Come back regularly, and register today! The Early Bird registration discount ends January 3, 2020 – take advantage and register early! We’ll see you in San Diego!