Residents Will Find Resource Center Their Home Away From Home

The 2014 APA annual meeting this May will play host to an unprecedented number of activities and opportunities for trainees in attendance like me and you. APA staff and resident representatives have worked hand in hand with national leaders in psychiatry to create a meeting truly centered on us—APA’s freshest demographic.

The central hub of the meeting for trainees is the Resident Resource Center, which will be located in the Javits Convention Center in the 3D glass room on the 3rd floor, open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (just follow the signs!). The center will be staffed by local psychiatry residents and resident leaders within APA who will be ready to point you to the resources you need to make the most of your time at the annual meeting.

Created to facilitate networking and career development, the Resident Resource Center will host daily brown-bag mentorship lunches with national leaders in major subspecialties from noon to 1 p.m. and sessions on how to spiff up that CV of yours.

On Monday and Tuesday the center will play host to the Resident-Fellow Caucus meetings at 3 p.m.—a chance to learn more about leadership opportunities within APA, current issues affecting all of us, and opportunities to meet one on one with APA leaders so you can share your vision for the future of our profession.

Drop by the center to get information on the Meet the Experts Sunny-Side Up breakfast and the Women’s Mentoring Breakfast, both scheduled for Monday at the New York Hilton Midtown (see box at right). For those interested in boosting their academic careers, the Early Research Career Breakfast (RSVP required) will be held Tuesday, also at the Hilton.

And don’t miss the chance to test your mental mettle against the teams participating in the MindGames finals on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Marriott. In this “Jeopardy”-like competition, three teams of residents face off to display their knowledge on topics in medicine in general, psychiatry in particular, and patient-care issues. It’s always great fun!

Also at the meeting, you can upgrade your expertise in any number of areas by flagging the Resident-Fellow track on your APA app, and you’ll want to reserve an extra-special high-five for your colleagues presenting at the Resident poster competition on Saturday.

For those looking to stay as current as possible on highlights during the meeting, you should check out the Annual Meeting Facebook Group (search “APA 2014 Annual Meeting—Resident Edition” to join). For trainees in at the meeting seeking to discover all the Big Apple has to offer, a series of nightly outings will be publicized for socializing and networking with fellow trainees, and information will be available through the Facebook group and at the Resident Resource Center. Additionally, drop by the center anytime to meet other trainees, catch up with old friends, rest your bones between sessions, or share ideas and collaborate on projects that interest you. If you’re planning on moving, you’ll also be able to update your contact information to stay connected to an Association dedicated to your career development and support.

The beauty of the annual meeting is the sheer depth and number of topics covered and the people you can meet. This year, APA is bringing it all right to your fingertips at the Resident Resource Center. As the time of the meeting draws near, keep an eye out for an email containing the online Annual Meeting Resident-Fellow Orientation available on the APA website. I look forward to seeing you in New York! ■