Minneapolis, Here We Come!

I’m pretty certain you have heard all about the Education Forum by now — but have you taken the time to look over the schedule yet? If not, I’d like to highlight a few things so you can start planning for a remarkable Forum experience.

Thursday

If you’ve attended the Forum before and are familiar with how things are typically scheduled, you’ll see a few changes this year. One of the first things you’ll notice is that the retreats have moved. They will now follow the first general session on Thursday morning and have been designed to build on the networking theme highlighted in Thursday’s invited speaker’s “Becoming a NetWORTHer^®” presentation. The retreats will focus on how to make and maintain professional connections at the Forum and beyond. The Forum has been described as a great place to find a mentor — and the retreats will be your opportunity to do just that.

After you’ve made some new friends, you’ll have a chance to catch your breath and decide which of the many sessions you want to attend first. This brings us to the second thing you’ll notice — some of the breaks between sessions have been lengthened. This was done intentionally in order to encourage networking, moments of reflection, or simply allowing yourself a bit of down time.

To round out Thursday’s schedule, you can catch up on the latest news from the Association at the second general session. After that, reconnect with friends and colleagues at the Welcome Reception, where you can share the highlights of the day and firm up your plans for Friday.

Friday

At the Friday morning poster session, you’ll notice that the posters are grouped by similar themes. This is being done in the hope that the groupings will encourage networking and collaboration amongst authors, as well as allow attendees to easily find topics of individual interest.

Then, at 8:30 a.m., you won’t want to miss Association of American Medical College’s Chief Health Care Officer Janis M. Orlowski, MD, MACP, who will join us to talk about the fundamental changes happening in academic medical centers, including alternative payment models, regulatory changes, and innovation.

Once again, voting for open Board of Directors’ seats will take place at the Forum with the polls open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday. Undecided? You can meet the candidates and hear more about their views at the Round Table before you cast your vote. Also on Friday, come celebrate the successes of your colleagues at the Awards Luncheon. Take time to chat with a friend, make a plan for the afternoon, take a walk to ward off the post-prandial blues, or opt to enjoy some of the many experiences Minneapolis has to offer. According to the Conference Council, Minneapolis is known for its “Midwestern charm and friendliness. It has a hip and happening downtown with great music, restaurants, and culture.”

Back by popular demand, PAEA also has organized a few fun activities that will allow you to experience the Forum’s host city. These events are optional and will be posted on the website soon, so check back to see how to join in the fun!

Not in the mood for sightseeing? Don’t worry! There will be plenty of sessions to choose from on Friday afternoon.

Saturday

On Saturday, we will host not one but two great speakers for general sessions. First up is Emmy award-winning Mark Scharenbroich, author of Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life, who will be speaking about building relationships for personal and professional growth.

Then in the afternoon, you won’t want to miss Peter C. Brown, author of Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, and PAEA’s own Sara Fletcher, PhD, discussing the latest research on how we learn and strategies to improve students’ learning outcomes. You can read more about Saturday’s featured speakers and their sessions here.

The Closing Reception will also be held Saturday afternoon, capping off a full day of networking as well as business and educational sessions.

Something for Everyone

At the Forum, you’ll find sessions that apply to all levels of educators in every role. This year, the Conference Council worked hard to weave similar topics throughout the schedule in order to decrease overlap.

Interested in diversity? Teaching methodologies? Clinical conundrums? Issues related to program function? These topics and many more are distributed across all three days in a variety of formats. Descriptions of all sessions are now posted on the Forum website to help you plan your schedule.

And the fun doesn’t end on Saturday. The Pando™ workshops will be held immediately following the Forum, October 16–18, offering additional opportunities for professional development and networking. For more information and registration, visit the Pando section of the Forum website.

So you see — there is much to take in and lots of fun to be had! A member of the Conference Council said she goes to the Forum to re-energize: “Spending time with colleagues who are enthusiastic and innovative reminds us of why we were drawn to teaching. PAEA creates a sense of community and provides an additional outlet for being creative outside your role in your PA program — and there’s coffee!”

The Conference Council is looking forward to seeing you in Minneapolis and hearing your feedback about the changes to the Forum.