The unprecedented challenges the graduate medical education (GME) community has faced, and continues to face, has made it imperative that GME educators, learners, clinicians, and administrators continue to connect, to learn, and to grow. The hurdles have been daunting, but they have not slowed the indispensable work that has been and continues to be accomplished every day by designated institutional officials, program directors, coordinators, residents, fellows, and GME faculty members.
Yet despite the entire medical community’s extraordinary, tireless, and courageous efforts, the pandemic has continued. As a result, the ACGME has made the difficult decision to hold the 2022 Annual Educational Conference virtually for a second year. But the virtual experience of the conference has been carefully and thoughtfully designed to offer a valuable venue for everyone in every role in GME to come together and rebuild vital connections with fellow professionals.
Building on past successes, the ACGME has developed a unique, engaging, and truly interactive conference for 2022. The on-demand format of many of the sessions will allow participants to attend different sessions of interest that might otherwise have been held concurrently. And the live Q&A formats with speakers means participants will still have access to a full and collaborative learning experience. Conference content includes robust sessions on ACGME accreditation, recognition, and initiatives; well-being; innovations in the clinical learning environment; diversity, equity, and inclusion; the Milestones; faculty and professional development; crisis management; and more.
This year’s theme, Meaning in Medicine: Rebuilding Connections, highlights both the importance of the work that is done every day and the imperative to continually rebuild professional connections. Meaning will be delivered through focused, relevant sessions covering a range of topics, with live pre-conferences for designated institutional officials, program directors, coordinators, participants from the osteopathic tradition, and residents and fellows, as well as an array of specific sessions designed to provide essential tools for improvement.
As the conference theme asserts, there is meaning in medicine, and that meaning comes from the core values that healers universally share and put into practice every day. While the values those in the GME community share may be universal, it is impossible to practice those values in isolation. Thus, the second part of the theme this year, rebuilding connections, may be more important than it has ever been. That’s why the conference has been designed to include a wide and varied array of opportunities to connect both professionally and personally with colleagues.
We hope you will join us to learn, to teach, to share, and to rebuild those vital connections. With lower pricing and no travel costs, this year may be the best opportunity to invite your entire team to attend. Registration for the 2022 ACGME Annual Educational Conference opens this coming Monday, December 6. We hope to see you soon.