Optimizing Your Experience at AAD

The American Academy of (AAD) 2023 Annual Meeting takes place from March 17 - 21 at New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention

Center, New Orleans, Louisiana. The meeting will offer over 300 sessions and will be attended by over 8,000 medical personnel and 350 exhibiting companies. Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD, and professor and Chair of Dermatology at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences in Washington DC, spoke to Dermatology Times® and offered some tips for first-time attendees to help optimize the best use of their time at the conference, including downloading the AAD Meeting app so all relevant information will be at your fingertips.

Transcript:

Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD: I am Dr. Adam Friedman, Professor and Chair of dermatology at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting is one of the largest dermatology meetings in the world. And regardless of whether you're a resident, freshly out and minted board-certified dermatologist, or you've been practicing for many years, it can be exceedingly overwhelming. There are a million things going on all at once. I think having a plan of attack to get the most out of the conference is really important. Now, we'll say starting off hindsight is 20/20; if you're going to the meeting with the purpose of engaging with others, whether it be with leaders of the field, or potential residents I would love to sit down and chat with that person. Even thinking for the next year and kind of [writing down] reminders to start reaching out to potential attendees that you can meet with is certainly not a bad idea. I think it's important to look at the agenda, think about what you want to walk away with, what areas of dermatology- do you want to really change gears, and learn something new? So that the first day back from the Academy you're implementing in your practice, and then start searching for those various sessions. The nice thing is the AAD website has a very easily searchable agenda. So I highly recommend using that versus the physical one, if you even get the physical one anymore. And then from there also, once again, identify speakers in this area, because there may be someone in the future want to meet with. But also, let's say you're in charge of a society meeting or grand rounds at your institution, or even thinking about asking a pharmacy rep to invite someone to give a talk locally or a dinner program. This is a way to identify someone who you want to learn from, but also who you want to engage with and interface with. And then of course using this time to reengage with colleagues, former residents, friends, you know, we're all in one place. But I think it's really important to go in with a plan, with calendar invites, with some order, or else you'll be kind of spinning around 360 and pulling your hair out (please don't do that, of course,) and you won't make the most out of this wonderful meeting.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and length.

Friedman will present 4 sessions at the AAD meeting:

• Treating Tumors and Inflammatory Skin Diseases with Immunomodulators and Biologics on Friday, March 17 from 9:00 AM to 11:00.
• Boards Blitz on Saturday, March 18 from 9:00 AM to 12:00.
• The 2023 Debates: Controversies in Dermatology on Sunday, March 19 from 1:00 PM to 4:00.
• Hot Topics on Sunday, March 19 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

You can also sign up here to receive news and updates from the meeting from Dermatology Times.