The APA Annual Meeting provides an opportunity for many valuable activities such as networking with peers and catching up on Association business. “However, what really drives the meeting are the educational opportunities,” said Nina Taylor, APA’s deputy director of education. “Mental health professionals come here to learn.”
All these psychiatrists committed to lifelong learning will undoubtedly want to stop by the APA’s Education Center. Located away from APA Central, the Center will provide attendees with a one-stop-shop for all their learning and certification needs.
Taylor described the Education Center as having the feel of an Apple Store, where members can browse available resources in a relaxed and comfortable setting while having an opportunity to get their questions answered by the APA Education team.
Members can stop by to learn about continuing medical education (CME) opportunities, print out their CME certificates, purchase the Annual Meeting on Demand, or discuss any questions or concerns related to maintenance of certification (MOC) programs and requirements.
A brand new feature at this year’s Education Center will be the Education Theater, a cozy, screened amphitheater that will host a wide range of programming throughout the conference.
Billed as pop-up sessions, members of the APA Education team will talk about new initiatives for the coming year as well as provide demonstrations of the Learning Center, APA’s newly re-envisioned learning management system (LMS). APA members will find educational offerings in addiction psychiatry, primary care, and patient safety. A schedule of pop-up sessions will be published in the
Annual Meeting app and in push notifications.
One of the major initiatives of the Division of Education is developing a learning lab for members, which will debut at the Annual Meeting. “We envision this learning lab as an interactive education element that goes beyond standard didactic teaching, and we’re looking forward to having it make its premiere,” said APA Education Director Tristan Gorrindo, M.D.
APA members will have an opportunity to engage with staff and learn more about the learning lab’s scheduled programming during the Annual Meeting.
Even during down times, the Education Center will offer a comfortable venue to unwind from the scientific sessions or plan out the rest of the day. (When not in use, the theater will post some live Tweets from the conference, so anyone at the center can keep up with the day’s news and events.) While primarily a location for learning, the Education Center can be a great social venue for some of those other important meeting activities, like networking. ■
