See you in New Orleans, March 9–13, 2010

The 2010 Annual Meeting officially begins on Tuesday, March 9. This change was recommended by the Annual Meeting Committee and approved by the AAOS Board of Directors during their June 2009 meeting.

As anyone who has ever attended the AAOS Annual Meeting knows, the educational content is rich, varied, and deep! Although the breadth of the programming means there’s something for everyone, it also means you have to make hard choices.

Do you attend the symposium on upper extremity injuries, the instructional course lecture on lower extremity fracture management, or the paper presentation on outpatient shoulder surgery? When can you find time to visit the posters, the scientific exhibits, the multimedia education center, or the technical exhibits?

The educational content of the Annual Meeting has gradually been increasing. The 2003, meeting featured 24 symposia. This year, 35 symposia were on the program. The number of instructional courses, posters, and podium presentations have also increased over the years.

To reduce the concentration of concurrent events, the Annual Meeting Committee has, during the past year, explored several options. The recommendation to expand programming to Tuesday was made for the following reasons:

• It would enable AAOS fellows to obtain additional continuing medical education (CME) hours. Providing accredited education on Tuesday afternoon increases the total CME available to you at the Annual Meeting to 33.5 credit hours.
• It would enable the AAOS to maintain co-programming with the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS).
• It would allow the AAOS to introduce several new educational programs.

Programming options
The Tuesday schedule provides for a balanced program of academic and clinical offerings. For example, practice management offerings would include a workshop on coding basics for residents, as well as the traditional “Practice Management Symposium for Orthopaedic Residents” and “Practice Management Symposium for Orthopaedic Surgeons.”

Beginning at 1:30 p.m. you will have the opportunity to select symposia or instructional course sessions in adult reconstruction—hip, spine research, trauma, and sports. Specialized education courses will also be offered, including sessions on Maintenance of Certification™, planning for retirement, and faculty development.

Co-programming with the ORS, previously held on Wednesday, would now be on Tuesday. Combined ORS/AAOS symposia and the presentation of the Kappa Delta Award papers are among the events scheduled.

Academy Hall—featuring posters, scientific exhibits, the Resource Center Bookstore, the Job Placement Center, and the Multimedia Education Center—will also open on Tuesday, beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Technical exhibits will be open Wednesday through Friday (March 10-12).

Register early
Important dates to remember for the 2010 Annual Meeting are shown below. Member housing opens August 13. Nonmember housing doesn’t open until October, giving you the best choice of hotels and locations.

A wonderful benefit of your AAOS membership is that advance registration for the Annual Meeting is free—and no meeting cancellation fee or penalty is assessed if you register and later find that you can’t attend. When online registration opens in October, I urge you to take advantage of the opportunity.

Waiting until the last minute can be costly—a $150 on-site registration fee will be charged for AAOS fellows and members. On-site registration fees for residents, fellows-in-training, nonmembers, or allied health professionals are $50 to $200 higher than advance registration fees.

Let the good times roll!
Having recently visited New Orleans, I’m pleased to say that the French Quarter and Convention Center are more beautiful than ever. The hotels look brand-new; the restaurants (both old favorites and new offerings) are serving mouth-watering meals; the service is excellent, and the people can’t wait till we get there.

See for yourself. Visit the AAOS Web site and click on the “2010 Annual Meeting” graphic in the upper right corner. Listen to what local orthopaedic surgeons—as well as those of us who have recently visited the city—have to say.

Although I have a vested interest in the 2010 Annual Meeting, I can truly say it will be an exciting, entertaining, and educational experience. I hope to see you there!

Charles T. Price, MD, is chair of the AAOS Annual Meeting Committee. He can be reached at charles.price@orlandohealth.com

Important dates

• August 13, 2009: Member housing opens
• October 7, 2009: Member registration opens
• October 14, 2009: Nonmember housing and registration opens
• January 27, 2010: Advance registration closes
• February 10, 2010: Registration cancellation deadline
• February 15, 2010: Housing reservation deadline