November 10-15

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ACR Convergence 2023

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Home // ACR/ARP Annual Meeting delivers innovative education on rheumatology’s most important topics

ACR/ARP Annual Meeting delivers innovative education on rheumatology’s most important topics

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3 minutes

Victoria Shanmugam, MD, FACR, FACP
Victoria Shanmugam, MD, FACR, FACP

The largest gathering of rheumatology professionals in the world takes place at the ACR/ARP Annual Meeting, November 8-13 in Atlanta.

If you haven’t registered to join the almost 16,000 rheumatologists, rheumatology professionals, fellows in training, exhibitors, and others from more than 100 countries coming together to learn about and discuss the latest scientific and clinical developments, there’s still time to register. Advance registration rates end October 30.

Visit the Online Program to learn more about all the professional development and networking opportunities available. This year’s meeting features more than 450 sessions.

The Annual Meeting Planning Committee (AMPC) strives to be responsive to the needs of all attendees, including the rheumatology community’s patient partners and rheumatologists from around the world. The AMPC reviewed the nearly 200 submitted session proposals to identify exciting, relevant symposia topics. Every accepted session undergoes peer review to ensure audiences hear from the best speakers about the most important and compelling issues in rheumatology today.

“We want our attendees learning from the full breadth of our practices worldwide,” said AMPC Chair Victoria Shanmugam, MD, FACR, FACP, director, Division of Rheumatology at the George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates, Washington, D.C. “One of the unique opportunities about this meeting is that our attendees get to interact and engage with some of the thought leaders of rheumatology, and can learn from the brightest minds in the field about the latest rheumatology research discoveries.”

Alongside the focus on the most relevant topics comes a dedication to improving the learning experience. For example, a series of shorter talks by leading experts in rheumatology addressing critical, controversial issues will replace the traditional podium and laser pointer with a more casual and convivial session. Look for these 30-minute In the Rheum sessions that will cover topics such as minimizing steroid exposure and managing opioids.

As part of an expanded series of sessions focused on professional development and burnout, the 2019 Annual Meeting has created a series of Recharge Me sessions to help refresh rheumatology professionals’ passion for work. A leadership coach will help attendees refocus priorities, think about goals, and identify strategies to prevent burnout.

This year’s Opening Lecture also offers a new perspective on rheumatology. Find out what rheumatologists learn from crawling snakes and water dancing bugs from biolocomotion expert David L. Hu, PhD, BSME. Dr. Hu, author of How to Walk on Water and Climb Up Walls, leads a biolocomotion laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology that studies fundamental problems of hydrodynamics and elasticity that relate to problems in biology.

Dr. Shanmugam encouraged everybody to download the Annual Meeting App. The app allows attendees to set sessions to attend and also search all of the abstracts that will be presented during the meeting. Also make sure to use ACR Beyond, the online video platform from the American College of Rheumatology that provides access to innovative educational content on your favorite devices. All scientific attendees will receive free access to ACR Beyond for a full year after the meeting.

“It’s a great way for people to extend the education by viewing recordings of sessions that they missed or want to review again,” Dr. Shanmugam said.