Team up for women’s health in San Francisco

The theme of ACOG’s 2015 Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting is “Teaming Up for Women’s Health.” It will be held May 2-6 in San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center.

Laurie J. McKenzie, MD

Laurie J. McKenzie, MD, a member of the Contemporary OB/GYN editorial board, is the general program chair this year. “In response to member feedback, you will notice several changes with this year’s meeting,” she told Contemporary OB/GYN. “This year, the annual meeting starts on Saturday, with plenary lectures, clinical seminars, luncheon roundtables, postgraduate and hands-on courses offered on a daily basis, with a concentration of clinical theme each day.”

The clinical themes are: obstetric emergencies (Saturday); operative gynecology (Sunday); contraception (Monday); menopause (Tuesday); and patient safety and office practice (Wednesday).

Exhibit hall events

The exhibit hall will have a grand opening on Monday and lunch will be provided in the hall to all attendees that day. Be sure to visit the Contemporary OB/GYN booth, number 1717. On Monday and Tuesday, Editor-in-Chief Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, will be available at the booth to greet readers from 10:30 to 11:30 am. Tech Tools editor Brian Levine, MD, will be there from 12:30 to 1:30 on Monday, and Product Reviews editor James Greenberg, MD, will be there from 3 to 4 on Monday and Tuesday. Coffee breaks will also be held in the hall on Tuesday, and a reception following the Presidential Inauguration and Convocation will be held at the ACOG Booth in the hall on Wednesday.

A scene from the exhibit hall during the 2014 Annual Meeting

Also new in 2015 is the ACOG Career Fair, on Tuesday from 2 to 4 in the Exhibit Hall. According to ACOG, the event will allow attendees to access all available jobs and meet face-to-face with top-notch employers at this first-of-its-kind ob/gyn networking event. Participants are invited to gather materials and make vital connections in a fun and engaging atmosphere.

Get challenged and get social

Dr. McKenzie wants attendees to know that the meeting isn’t all business. She encourages everyone to enjoy some lighter events and opportunities to socialize. “You can determine if you are smarter than a junior fellow by watching more seasoned physicians take on a team of residents,” she said. “Need to brush up on the latest in medical apps? Join us for Appy-Hour! There will be plenty of networking opportunities, and don’t forget to join me as I moderate the ever-popular ‘Stump the Professors’ session on Tuesday, May 5th,” she added.

Also, be sure to tweet while you’re there: ACOG is having a “tweet of the day” contest. Each day, the 3 best tweets using #ACOG15 will appear in the next day’s annual meeting news and winners will receive Starbucks gift cards. You may see your tweets show up in the @ContempOBGYN feed, as well.

Additional highlights

The March of Dimes Annual Lecture, “Emerging Concepts in the Pathogenesis of Preterm Birth,” will be given by Michal Aviva Elovitz, MD, on Saturday from 4:15 to 5:10. This session will explore new concepts in the pathogenesis of preterm birth such as specific molecular profiles involved in premature cervical remodeling and the role of the cervicovaginal microbiome, and horizons for effective new therapeutic options.

The John and Marney Mathers Lecture, “Morcellation Debate,” will be given by Keith B. Isaacson, MD, and Javier F. Magrina, MD, on Sunday from 3:15 to 4:10. The benefits, risks, sequelae, and prevention of complications of power morcellation, as well as the use of other techniques, will be debated.