The 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting is upon us, kicking off in sunny San Diego on Saturday December 7th through Tuesday December 10th 2024!
As an Internal Medicine resident, Hematology/Oncology fellow, and now an attending in San Diego, I have always felt like the ASH conference was in my own “backyard.” However, I still remember being intimidated and overwhelmed by the sheer size of the convention center, the innumerable volumes of abstracts and presentations, and the tens of thousands of attendees from around the world. Indeed, for most students and trainees involved in the field of Hematology, such a venue can be both exciting and nerve-racking at the same time.
I have written previously how medical conferences help bring people together to fulfill the innate need for human reconnection, serving as an important platform to nourish mentorships. Indeed, conferences bring together leaders and followers in a harmonious cycle of growth. Mentees may eventually become mentors themselves, but the most effective mentors never stop looking for opportunities to become mentees again, habitually evolving their skillsets.
Throughout this process, it is somewhat challenging and rare, especially at medical conferences, to create exclusive opportunities for mentees to be able to find each other, for networking, camaraderie, and even future collaborations. To this point, as I have seen the ASH conference evolve, I have always been impressed with how ASH has made progress with the times, creating non-threatening and meaningful initiatives to help empower trainees to feel connected and supported. One of the latest and most authentic innovations towards this end has been ASH-a-Palooza, which debuted for the first time at the 2018 ASH annual meeting.
This year’s ASH-a-Palooza will take place from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Friday, December 6th, in the bustling Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego. There will be many unique events taking place this year at ASH for trainees including:
- ASH Talk Sessions: 20-minute “TED talk” like presentations which will cover hot topics in the field with entertaining and dynamic speakers.
- Blood Drops: Quick 5-minute learning presentations arranged as group sessions that will provide useful education and learning on high-yield topics in Hematology.
- Blood Buddies: These private, 10-minute mentoring sessions will provide trainees with an opportunity to have “buddy” mentoring sessions with faculty and leaders in the field of Hematology.
- Blood Booths: These interactive booths will provide trainees with opportunities to practice procedures such as bone marrow biopsies while interacting with peers and getting guidance and helpful tips from experts in the field.
- Trainee Welcome Reception: To culminate the event, this social reception from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM will provide a venue for all trainees in Hematology (undergrads, medical students, graduate students, residents, and fellows) to network with each other in an open environment with other faculty.
Beyond Friday’s ASH-a-Palooza, there will also be some additional events and venues for trainees to gather together at this year’s ASH conference:
- Career Development Lunch: This coveted, boxed-lunch event will take place on Saturday December 7th from 11:15 AM to 12:15 PM, pairing mentees at various tables to one faculty member dedicated to a specific career area. Trainees will be exposed to various career options in the field of Hematology from basic science to clinical medicine in a variety of practice settings.
- Trainee Didactic Sessions: These sessions during the lunch hour on Sunday December 8th and Monday December 9th will provide trainees with helpful career skills from writing a succinct CV to delivering an impactful presentation to navigating career transitions.
- Trainee Lounge: Located in the Sails Pavilion, this will be a low-key lounge dedicated for trainees to hang out and socialize, while enjoying complimentary refreshments.
It is more important than ever to foster ongoing mentorship and networking for trainees in Hematology. The 2024 ASH annual meeting will hopefully continue to live up to its innovative efforts of creating a venue and platform for authentic engagement this year. Do you plan to meet up with prior/current mentors or colleagues? What other trainee-centric events have you enjoyed or learned from at other Hematology or Oncology conferences? What would you do differently to improve the trainee experience? Please comment in the box below.
Dr. Phull is employed by Palomar Health Medical Group and is a member of the Palomar Health Foundation. He is a contracted speaker for Sanofi, Karyopharm, Regeneron, and AVEO.
Animation by Diana Connolly
