A trip to the cradle of higher education is not only just what you need but will also enjoy this fall. Make arrangements now to travel to Boston for the institute, which will be held October 29 to November 2 at the Marriott Boston Copley Place.

The institute is a smaller, more intimate meeting that offers an opportunity to expand your clinical knowledge while you catch up with colleagues and make new friends. The institute’s manageable size and flexible schedule also allow you to reach your educational goals while enjoying sightseeing, cultural institutions, and culinary delights of the great city of Boston.

This year’s theme is "Access to Integrated Mental Health Care." Our rich program reflects the clinical and service delivery issues we face in diverse communities. I hope you will share my excitement about this meeting.

Twenty-eight international, national, and local experts from various disciplines will offer interesting and stimulating lectures. Several prestigious APA awards will be given during the institute, followed by the awardees’ lectures: Frederick Sierles, M.D., the recipient of the APA/NIMH Vestermark Award, will present the lecture "Why Many More Women Must Become Chairs, Deans, and Chief Academic Officers in Medical Schools"; Marvin Herz, M.D., the recipient of APA’s Alexander Gralnick Award for Research in Schizophrenia, "Early Intervention in Different Phases of Schizophrenia"; Sir Michael Rutter, M.D., the recipient of APA’s Marmor Award, "Using Epidemiology to Test Causal Hypotheses"; C. Edward Coffey, M.D., the recipient of the APA/APAA Administrative Psychiatry Award, "Pursuing Perfection in Depression Care"; and Abraham Twerski, the recipient of APA’s Oskar Pfister Award, will try to answer the question, "Is There a Place for Spirituality in Therapy?"

Other topics by expert lecturers include a wide variety of issues such as "Alcoholics Anonymous, Cult or Cure? A 60-Year Follow-Up of 200 Community Residents With Alcohol Dependency" by George Vaillant, M.D.; "Behavioral Complications of HIV Infection" by Francisco Fernandez, M.D.; "Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacology: Split Treatment Issues" by Michelle Riba, M.D.; "The Assessment and Treatment of Psychological Trauma" by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.; "The Psychodynamics of Medicating" by Harold Eist, M.D.; "The Limbic Lobe in Relation to Psychosis" by Francine Benes, M.D., Ph.D.; "Diagnosis and Treatment of Antisocial Personality Disorder" by Glen Gabbard, M.D.; "What’s New in Treating Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder?" by John Gunderson, M.D.; and many others.

Lecturers also include the popular National Public Radio ("All Things Considered") commentator Elissa Ely, M.D. The clinical consultations sessions will be led by such experts as Stephen Goldfinger, M.D., Joel Feiner, M.D., Kenneth Duckworth, M.D., and Ronald Diamond, M.D. There will be numerous workshops, innovative programs, industry-supported symposia, and poster sessions presenting the best work submitted by APA members and their colleagues.

I believe that besides mental health professionals taking care of severely mentally ill people, this meeting is attractive and of special benefit for residents and medical students. They will be able to join with psychiatrists and mental health professionals in several discussion groups and the clinical consultations to discuss clinical issues and the challenges of service delivery. They can also participate in special programs and get-togethers just for residents and fellows.

I hope that you will understand my pride in this meeting and my enthusiasm about the excellent program that the institute’s Scientific Program Committee prepared for you. Please join us and continue the tradition of supporting community work and education at this wonderful fall meeting. ▪

Dr. Balon is chair of the Scientific Program Committee of the Institute on Psychiatric Services.