The opportunity to network informally is nearly as important as the formal program. Attendees make global connections that lead to research collaborations, jobs, grants, and journal articles. At ATS 2014, there will be many venues and activities that foster networking—plan your itinerary carefully. As one longtime attendee puts it: “The conference goes by so quickly. It’s important to map out where you want to be. You don’t want to miss the chance to talk with the one person in the world who can help you.”
During ATS 2014 there will be numerous venues and activities that foster networking.
Early career professionals and students meet leaders in the field during the Career Development Exchange.
ATS 2014 Kick Off
On Saturday, May 17, the inspirational Opening Ceremony will welcome attendees to San Diego, and immediately following will be a reception where attendees can meet old and new friends and colleagues and enjoy light refreshments.
The evening also features the Career Development Exchange, an annual networking event that gives medical students, residents, fellows, junior professionals, and post docs transitioning from training in their careers the opportunity to network with peers, ATS leaders, and representatives from health care and research funding government agencies, as well as other prominent thought leaders and decision makers. Beverages and appetizers are also provided.
Capping off the night will be the Sixth Annual ATS Foundation Research Program Benefit, an evening devoted to supporting research and honoring world-renowned educator, clinician, and researcher William W. Busse, MD, who will be presented with the 2014 Breathing for Life Award, the highest honor given by the ATS Foundation in recognition of philanthropy.
ATS Assembly and Section Meetings, Receptions, and Dinners
All are invited to attend the 14 ATS Assemblies’ annual Membership Meetings during the conference from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, May 19, and the Assemblies on Behavioral Science and Health Services Research, Pediatrics, and Thoracic Oncology from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 18.
The meetings provide an update on Assembly activities, solicit input on future directions, and provide information on how to get involved. Voting results for the Assembly leadership will also be announced.
Some assemblies will host dinners or receptions immediately following the meetings. Pre-registration and an additional fee are required. Seating is limited. Please register through the online general registration website.
For the chair of the Assembly on Pediatrics, Robin Deterding, MD, the Assembly and Section events afford attendees several benefits. “People can come be a part of the ATS Assembly Meetings, where we organize to do that work. Our dinner allows us to recognize and celebrate our outstanding founders, network and have some conversation, and enjoy each other at the senior and fellow level in a social setting,” said Dr. Deterding, professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and director of the Breathing Institute at the Children’s Hospital, Aurora. “The ATS is the largest organization in world that can move improvements for children’s breathing, and that is why I am involved.”
Assembly Dinners
- Assembly on Pediatrics
- Assembly on Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology
Assembly Receptions
- Assembly on Critical Care
- Assembly on Microbiology, Tuberculosis and Pulmonary Infections
- Assembly on Respiratory Structure and Function
- Assembly on Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology
Free Lunch Forums Discuss the Diversity and Gender Issues of Today
On Sunday, May 18, from 11:30-1 p.m., the annual Diversity Forum will focus on diversity within the fields of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, research, and academic careers, with a guest speaker. Minority Trainee Diversity Scholarships will also be presented during the forum, which is sponsored by the ATS Membership Committee and will be hosted by Yolanda Mageto, MD, MPH. Enid Neptune, MD, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, will speak on issues related to diversity and health equality.
On Monday, May 19, from 11:30-1 p.m., the annual Women’s Forum will recognize achievements, support the advancement of women in the field, offer networking with other attendees and leaders, and feature a guest speaker. Topics will be relevant to female medical professionals, however, men are invited to attend. The speaker will be Kristin Riekert, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the co-director of the Johns Hopkins Adherence Research Center, Baltimore.
During the forum, which will also be hosted by Dr. Mageto, the 2014 Elizabeth A. Rich, MD Award will be presented to a female ATS member who has made significant achievements and has demonstrated leadership and mentorship of her junior colleagues.
Lunch will be served during both forums. Registration is required to obtain an audience count, but tickets will not be issued. Only conference badges are required for admission, and seating is first-come, first-served.
ATS Foundation Donor Appreciation Suite and Networking Centers
Conference attendees who have contributed $300 or more, are invited to relax, grab a bite to eat, check emails, and use the Internet free of charge in the ATS Foundation Donor Appreciation Suite, which will be open Saturday, May 17, to Wednesday, May 21. Donors can also skip the lines at registration and make their arrangements in the suite.
The ATS is once again hosting networking centers where like-minded clinicians and researchers can gather for presentations, relax, and discuss the latest research and news. These centers will be open Sunday, May 18, to Tuesday, May 20.
Geared toward physicians and other health care and research professionals who are in training or have transitioned in their careers, the Center for Career Development hosts a variety of workshops specifically geared to address such topics as how to get a job, mentoring, and negotiating a contract. Each day, the center will offer a light complimentary breakfast from 7-8 a.m. and a reception with complimentary beverages and hors d’oeuvres from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Interprofessional clinicians can meet, relax, learn, and gather information and resources in the Clinicians Center. The center will offer a light complimentary breakfast from 7:30-8:30 a.m. each day, mid-day interactive demonstrations, a breakfast presentation, a meet-and-greet reception for nurses from 10:45-noon Sunday, May 18, a meet-and-greet reception for interprofessional clinicians from noon-1 p.m. Monday, May 19 as well as an award reception for the Outstanding Clinician Award recipient from 4-5 p.m. Starting Tuesday, May 20, attendees participating in the Adult and Pediatric core curriculum sessions are invited to take their respective exams in the comfort of the Learning Lab adjacent to the Clinicians Center.
The Science and Innovation Center will return with networking and interactive sessions by experts including representatives from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute on a variety of topics of interest to researchers and scientists. The center will offer a light complimentary breakfast from 7:30-8:30 a.m. each day, and light refreshments will be served from noon to 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 18, and Monday, May 19. The center will host a reception with complimentary beverages and hors d’oeuvres from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, which recognizes a fellow or junior investigator with the Scientific Abstract Award. The recipient’s poster will be displayed in the center.
Connect Online
Follow @atscommunity on Twitter and use the hashtag #ATS2014, and like the ATS on Facebook to stay up date on the latest news, chat with other attendees, and see photos from San Diego. And be sure to connect with the ATS on LinkedIn!