Generation Z’s first wave of mid-20-year-olds is already entering internships and residencies, soon to become workplace colleagues in hospitals, clinics, and research institutions, and the ACR Convergence 2025 Workforce and Education programming is designed to help navigate this transition.
A session on Sunday, October 26, Workforce and Education Debate: Generation Z and Rheumatology Training: Adapt or Uphold Tradition?, 1 p.m., will examine the training needs posed by incoming Gen Z colleagues.
“Much sociological research has been done describing the unique preferences, both in learning and work-life-balance, in respect to integrating Generation Z,” said Lisa Zickuhr, MD, MHPE, Chair of the Education and Workforce Team for the Annual Meeting Planning Committee (AMPC).
Dr. Zickuhr, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said she expects the debate to also focus on the circumstances of Gen Z’s formative years and what this means in terms of nimbly adapting education without compromising professional demands and standards.
The Gen Z debate session will touch on other timely themes explored in more detail throughout the Workforce and Education sessions at ACR Convergence 2025.
Several sessions will focus on workforce shortage solutions, an issue that Dr. Zickuhr describes as “an ongoing problem that has dire consequences.”
Rheumatology Workforce Solutions: Primary Care Resources, Referral Triage Tactics, and Smarter Screening Strategies, 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 28, will share effective primary care solutions developed by the ACR, such as Rheumatology for Primary Care, to address the shortage of rheumatologists.
“These are resources that focus on the nuances of rheumatology care so that primary care providers can independently and effectively make better decisions about who needs an evaluation by a rheumatologist and how to help triage the acuity of those referrals,” Dr. Zickuhr explained.
Dr. Zickuhr noted that Enhancing Pediatric Training: Innovative Approaches to Early Exposure in Pediatric Rheumatology, 10 a.m. on Wednesday, October 29, will also tackle the rheumatology workforce shortage, sharing tips and resources that have been implemented by educators across the country.
A new session this year, Survey Says! Annual Rheumatology Education Survey Results, 4 p.m. on Monday, October 27, will present and analyze data from a pilot-year survey of approximately 100 experienced rheumatology educators.
The survey focused on funding rheumatology and providing an overview of the state of the workforce through questions such as: How many professionals are set to retire? What is the need for training and educators?
“There will be a strong emphasis on discussing these results so that action items can come from what attendees contribute as well as from the data,” Dr. Zickuhr said, adding that she hopes discussions begun at this session will encourage attendees and colleagues to help shape next year’s survey questions and focus.
For ACR Convergence participants invested in rheumatology education and workforce development, the annual Medical Education Year in Review, 10:30 a.m. on Monday, is a must-attend event. This one-hour session will offer an overview of the most impactful and important papers published in the past year.
The session, Rheumatology on the Hill: The State of Play in Washington, DC, 8 a.m. on Tuesday, will provide updates on the work of ACR staff at Capitol Hill in presenting and monitoring important issues such as expanded telehealth options. The session is designed to receive ACR member feedback on legislative priorities for the coming year.
“After the meeting, the committees within the ACR will take these ideas and use them to implement change,” Dr. Zickuhr said. “The best way for a member’s perspectives to be incorporated into those actions is for the member to be present and part of the collective think tank.”
A complete list of ACR Convergence 2025 Workforce and Education track sessions can be found in the online program.
Additional Workforce and Education Sessions
Sunday, October 26
- Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education: From Theory to Practice, 9–10 a.m.
- Rheum for Growth: How the ACR Is Teaching, Training, and Tackling Shortages, 10:30–11:30 a.m.
- The Bedside Educator: Best Practices for Bedside Instruction in Rheumatology, 2:30–3:30 p.m.
Monday, October 27
- Education and Wellness Inspirations: Teaching Pearls, 8:30–10 a.m.
- A Diagnostic Approach to Remediating the Struggling Rheumatology Learner, 1–2 p.m.
- Masterclass in Medicine: Help Your Learners Develop the Early Career Habits of Master Clinicians, 2:30–3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 28
- Teaching Evidence-Based Medicine to Rheumatology Learners in Busy Clinical Settings, 1–2 p.m.
- Swipe Right on Rheumatology: Engaging Learners and Creating Community in the Digital Age, 2:30–3:30 p.m.
Don’t Miss a Session
If you weren’t able to make it to a live session during ACR Convergence 2025 — or you want to revisit a session from the annual meeting — make plans to watch the replay. All registered participants receive on-demand access to scientific sessions after the meeting through October 31, 2026.