ACGME President and CEO Dr. Nasca kicked off his Saturday morning session at the Annual Educational Conference with some “non-rhetorical” questions: Can anyone predict what the health care system will look like in 2035? Can anyone predict how long your residents will practice? 40 years?

After stumping the room, he went on to explain that it is our job is to prepare residents to practice in the future—not to arm them with practices, skills, and knowledge of the present. We want our residents to be prepared not just for 2018 but for 2035—and beyond.

Jamie Dow, EdM, is assistant director for resident education and training at the University of Florida. Her poster, Mindfulness in Neurosurgery: Improving Neurosurgeon Wellness in Training and Beyond (with co-authors W. Christopher Fox, MD, Associate Program Director, University of Florida, and Gregory Murad, MD, Program Director, University of Florida), looked at wellness in neurosurgery, which Dow says “has traditionally been considered an oxymoron.” However, as priorities among neurological surgery residents evolve and the effects of physician burnout are increasingly recognized across specialties, life balance and overall well-being have become areas of emphasis and an opportunity for program improvement.

For the first time since 2012, the ACGME today presented the John C. Gienapp Distinguished Service Award to Timothy C. Flynn, MD, FACS. The award is named for Dr. John Gienapp, who was the ACGME’s Executive Director for 19 years. Dr. Gienapp made several important contributions to GME and ACGME accreditation, and when he retired this award was established in his honor to recognize those who, like himself, dedicated themselves to a career in graduate medical education and made outstanding contributions to residency education and ACGME activities in a variety of ways.

“Milestones” has been a part of the ACGME vocabulary for nearly 17 years now. In the final session of the 2018 Annual Educational Conference, Eric Holmboe, MD, MACP, FRCP, senior vice president, Milestone Development and Evaluation, kicked off a discussion about the Milestones today and the Milestones to come.

Andrea Rio’s name – or maybe her e-mail address – is probably very familiar to anyone who’s ever attended any ACGME educational program. Her integral role in the Annual Educational Conference, however, is much more than processing registrations and payments and making sure badges print correctly! As a key member of the ACGME’s Educational Activities team, she is central to the growth and success of the conference. We asked her to share a bit more about what she does and what the conference experience is like for her behind the scenes.

The 2019 ACGME Annual Educational Conference offers so many great educational opportunities that it can be hard to know which sessions to choose. One “must-attend” plenary session focuses on the critically important topic of physician well-being.

As part of its commitment to staff and community well-being, the ACGME is partnering with Hope For The Day, a Chicago-based non-profit organization dedicated to mental health support and suicide prevention.