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APA Institute Is Perfect Meeting for Residents
By Kenneth S. Chuang, M.D.
APA will be welcoming all residents and medical students to its annual Institute on Psychiatric Services, which will be held in Los Angeles from October 2 to 6. The institute has a reputation for being one of APA's best-kept secrets, but no longer.
Like APA's larger annual meeting in May, the institute offers a broad educational program featuring nationally renowned clinicians and researchers presenting in multiple formats, including workshops, case presentations, multimedia sessions, and CME courses. At the same time, the institute boasts several features that make it a particularly friendly place for trainees seeking a scientific meeting of national caliber. Residents will be especially pleased with its smaller size, clinical focus, and variety of programs and receptions that are exclusively earmarked for trainees.
This year the institute will be held at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. All of the scientific sessions will be held within the hotel's facilities, eliminating the need for shuttle transportation along with the frustration of commuting between individual presentations. There are industry-sponsored symposia with meals three times a day, thereby providing participants with both free food and education. The program itself boasts several sessions for trainees including a special full-day session on clinical work with the homeless.
California psychiatrists will have a special inducement to attend the institute: The California Psychiatric Association will be hosting its annual meeting in conjunction with the institute. Events of particular interest to California psychiatrists include presentations on the impact of managed care, hot political issues (such as the psychologist prescribing bills), and numerous workshops on special populations and ethnic issues.
As the resident liaison to the institute's program committee, I encourage all residents and medical students to attend. The advance registration fee, which expires September 4, is only $50 for residents and free for medical students. The trainee-specific programs have a limited capacity, so early registration is highly recommended.
Dr. Chuang is the 1997-99 APA Bristol-Myers Squibb Fellow serving on the Scientific Program Committee of the Institute for Psychiatric Services.