Instructional Course Lectures (ICLs) at the AAOS Annual Meeting provide expert clinical instruction attendees can take home and put to use. The selections for the 2017 Annual Meeting are expansive, with a vast array of educational offerings and 35.5 continuing medical education (CME) credits available to be earned, said Javad Parvizi, MD, FRCS, chair of the Central Instructional Courses Committee.

In San Diego, the Academy will hold more than 220 ICLs—including 32 highly interactive Case Presentation courses, an Orthopaedic Review Course focused on providing help for test preparation, and 15 Career Development Courses with learning themes related to Leadership, Teaching, and Communication; Research and Education; Maintenance of Certification; and Marketing of Your Practice.

"The Career Development series will provide great education, particularly for academically minded members, and will be offered at no additional cost. A ticket is not needed to attend," said Dr. Parvizi.

New for this year are Track Packages, which are designed to focus the learning experience. For 2017, general tracks and tracks for the specialist are available in Adult Reconstruction Hip as well as Knee, Pediatrics, Spine, and Trauma, with as many as seven ICLs included in the various tracks. Package availability is limited, and tracks must be purchased by Jan. 31, 2017.

Dr. Parvizi also noted that AAOS is going paperless with ICL handouts and evaluations this year. The ICL handouts and all evaluations will only be available electronically on the Annual Meeting registration page and also via the My Academy app. Attendees are encouraged to download this app on their smartphones or tablets.

Back by popular demand are Case Presentation Instructional Courses. In these sessions, the moderator presents a case and expert table facilitators lead individual discussions, with each table sharing its conclusions. The moderator will present the final solution using evidence-based data and will offer teaching points.

"Case Presentation Instructional Courses have been among our highest-rated ICLs since being introduced, and continue to offer exciting advancements in our educational program," said Dr. Parvizi.

Another highlight is the slate of Technical Skills Instructional Courses, which provide a focus on positioning, approach, and step-by-step technical tips and pearls. Attendees of these courses will receive access to a short video from the faculty showing techniques discussed in the courses. Case Presentation and Technical Skills courses require a ticket purchase.

Dr. Parvizi recommends attending the 2017 "Orthopaedic Review Course: Update for Your Practice and Preparation for Your Test" on Friday, March 17, 7:30 a.m.–4:45 p.m., chaired by Jeffrey R. Sawyer, MD.

"Dr. Sawyer has collaborated with the faculty to provide important information we as orthopaedic surgeons need to know, and to ensure that the handout, provided electronically, is a helpful resource for reviewing this pertinent material," said Dr. Parvizi. The major sections of the course focus on pediatrics, upper and lower extremities, tumors and metabolic bone disease, and spine. Each section includes discussion of fractures, complications, infections, and trauma, with a question-and-answer period at the end.

Asked to pick a few other ICL highlights, Dr. Parvizi offered these choices:

• ICL 142, "Musculoskeletal Ultrasound of the Extremities: Clinical and Ultrasonographic Correlation," moderated by Mukund R. Patel, MD, with faculty members Gina Ciavarra, Mohini Rawat, DPT, and Wayne L. Stokes, MD, on Tuesday, March 14, 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. During this ICL, an imaging modality that provides diagnostic accuracy at low cost will be discussed, along with clinical pearls.
• ICL 207, "Hospital Alignment Strategies," moderated by John Cherf, MD, MPH, MBA, with faculty members James M. Daniel, Jr, MD, MBA, and Michael A. Swarzman, MBA, on Wednesday, March 15, 8:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. This ICL explores rapid strategic change that is being driven by dynamic shifts in financial incentives, the competitive marketplace, quality measurement, proposed health reform, lifestyle concerns, and a changing social compact between hospitals and physicians.
• ICL 227, "Patient Satisfaction, Reimbursement, and Online Reputation Management," moderated by Glenn B. Pfeffer, MD, on Wednesday, March 15, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Faculty members, including Basil Besh, MD; Thomas Lee, chief medical officer of Press Ganey; and Evan Marks, chief strategy officer of Healthgrades, will discuss patient satisfaction ratings and online reputation management, as well as how they affect orthopaedic practice and reimbursement.
• ICL 308, "How to Receive Your Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) Reconciliation Check from Medicare: Maximizing Your CJR Quality Score," moderated by Gregory A. Brown, MD, PhD, with faculty members David Jevsevar, MD, MBA; Alexandra E. Page, MD; and Adolph J. Yates Jr, MD, on Thursday, March 16, 8:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. This ICL explains the details of the quality score.
• ICL 324, "Why I Cannot Fix This Distal Radius Fracture with a Volar Plate," moderated by Nileshkumar Chaudhari, MD, with faculty members Abhinav B. Chhabra, MD; Robert J. Medoff, MD; and Joseph M. Sherrill, MD, on Thursday, March 16, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. This course provides information regarding fracture pattern, preoperative planning, selection of surgical approach, technique pearls, fixation options, complications, and difficulties associated with the fixation method of complex distal radius fracture.
• ICL 350, "Establishing and Managing the Medical Care Organization for Team Physicians," moderated by Brian J. Cole, MD, MBA, with faculty members James R. Andrews, MD, and Wendy Borlabi, a performance psychology consultant, on Thursday, March 16, 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. They will discuss the challenges and responsibilities of providing medical care for a sports team ranging from high school to professional franchises.
• ICL 428, "Evidence-based Treatment of Pediatric Fractures: Tolerances, Treatments, and Return to Play" moderated by Kevin M. Neal, MD, with faculty members Steven L. Frick, MD; Richard W. Kruse, DO; and Eric D. Shirley, MD, on Friday, March 17, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. This ICL features discussion of common pediatric fractures, tolerances, indications for treatment, current standards for conservative and surgical management, and postintervention management protocols.

Members are urged to review the full sampling of events offered at this year's Annual Meeting, make plans for the program that best fits your needs and interests, and register today at www.aaos.org/register

Make sure to download the My Academy app, which puts everything you need at your fingertips—handouts for the ICLs you attend, evaluations you can complete and submit, and tools to send messages to your colleagues, tweet the Academy, and view the Exhibit Floor plans.