ACC CardioCareer & CME Guide - March 2008v8 - (Page 10) Outstanding Career Planning Opportunities at ACC.08 f you are looking for career guidance or want to find out more about your chosen career, ACC.08, the College’s 57th Annual Scientific Session, March 29–April 1, 2008, in Chicago, is the place to go. The following are highlights of educational and networking opportunities designed for Fellows-in-Training (FITs) and cardiology professionals about to launch or change their career path. “The annual meeting is an excellent way for FITs to supplement their training and to see what’s out there in our field,” says Grace Chen, MD, who chairs the College’s FIT Committee. “Different training programs tend to focus on different aspects of cardiology. Maybe one program doesn’t have strong nuclear cardiology training while another might not be as strong in heart failure. At the Annual Scientific Session, FITs benefit from exposure to every aspect of cardiology while getting a sense of where we are in cardiology as a field.” FITs: What You Need to Know in Starting a Cardiology Career Sunday, March 30, noon to 2:00 p.m., Room N-138, McCormick Place. Boxed lunches provided. A session designed to give FITs insights into the practical aspects of early career development is FITs: What You Need to Know in Starting a Cardiology Career. Moderated by Dr. Chen for the Dr. Chen past three years, this session hones in on nuts-andbolts topics such as passing the Board exams, tested interviewing techniques, negotiating contracts with employers, planning your financial future, and coding and reimbursement how-to for services. “This session has been very well-received over the years,” notes Dr. Chen. “During fellowship training, the FITs spend every moment acquiring scientific and clinical skills. However, frequently the practical aspects of how to launch our careers are not emphasized. Regardless of whether you decide to pursue private or academic careers, you need to know how to pass your boards, interview for your jobs, and code for your services. This ACC session pulls together experts in these very practical career topics.” FIT Forum: Stimulating Options 2008 Monday, March 31, noon to 2:00 p.m., Room N-128, McCormick Place Convention Center. Boxed lunches provided. Leading the line-up of sessions for FITs is Stimulating Options 2008: FIT Forum, which is chaired by Jamie B. Conti, MD, FACC, who heads the ACC’s Cardiology Training and Workforce Committee. The session brings together some of Dr. Conti the world’s leading cardiovascular specialists to talk about the career paths they have traveled and to deliver words of wisdom to FITs who soon will select career paths for themselves. I “It is never too early to start thinking about your career path, nor is it too late to consider changing your plans,” stresses Dr. Conti. “This session offers FITs a unique opportunity to hear about the various options and to interact with physicians who have reached the pinnacles of their careers.” FITs who attend this session will learn directly from some of the field’s most distinguished physicians about the wide range of options available to them, including the academic and private practice environments as well as the diverse positions cardiologists can hold in each setting, such as clinical investigator, clinician, educator, and combined job descriptions. “The feedback from attendees has been uniformly positive,” says Dr. Conti. “Most fellows leave this session with a better sense of what each career path generally means in terms of job description, the lifestyle that accompanies it, and how and why it has been fulfilling for the distinguished individuals who comprise it. “I can’t think of another opportunity quite like this. Fellows are able to freely interact with the giants in cardiovascular medicine, allowing them to make the most informed decisions for their own careers,” says Dr. Conti. “I hope that all of the FITs, at all stages of their careers, will take advantage of this opportunity.” Attendees will be encouraged to ask questions of the faculty both during and after the forum. Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease Career Session/ Reception Monday, March 31 Session is 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Williford C; Reception is 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Williford B, both at the Hilton Chicago This session will focus on pediatric cardiology career tracks and promotion, finding a mentor, interviewing skills, the funded clinical researcher, balancing career and family, and more. Jeffrey Towbin, MD, FACC, will chair the session. As Chief of Pediatric Cardiology at Texas Children’s Hospital, Dr. Towbin meets with dozens of FITs and early-career physicians who are considering positions as junior faculty at academic centers, and will provide valuable insights. A reception is scheduled to promote interaction with leaders in pediatric cardiology and the treatment of congenital heart disease as well. NEW! Fellows Imaging Bootcamp 2008 Tuesday, April 1, 8:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., Rooms N-426 and N-427, McCormick Place Convention Center New to the College’s line-up of sessions geared toward FITs is Fellows Imaging Bootcamp 2008: Cardiovascular Imaging Symposium, which will be moderated by Hector Ventura, MD, FACC. This Dr.Ventura all-day session will focus on cardiac CT and top 10 indications of MRI, nuclear cardiology basic physics, and the reliable echocardiogram. Careers in cardiovascular imaging, reimbursement, and the future of imaging will be discussed as well. 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