March 16, 2016 | Akhil Narang, MD & Shashank S. Sinha, MD
Education

Greetings! We hope you are as excited as we are for ACC's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.16), held April 2 – 4 in Chicago! As the conference is just around the corner, we wish to orient you to the vast array of exciting programming for FITs. We recognize that it can be quite overwhelming to navigate the multiple sessions held at the annual meeting. Thus, we hope to highlight several sessions that FITs will find especially high-yield.

First, be sure to download the ACC.16 App on your smartphone. Click on the "Sessions by Practice Focus" on the homepage and select the "Browse Fellow in Training Sessions." Here you will find a day-by-day list of the sessions we truly feel you can benefit from as a FIT. Also check out the 'Meetings' tab of the FIT Section Page to add specific sessions to your calendar:

Saturday, April 2

• FIT Jeopardy Tournament
  9:45 – 11:45 a.m. and 2:00 – 3:45 p.m.
  Cheer on your co-fellows from around the country in the Battle of the States!
• Preparing Present and Future Academic Cardiology Leaders to Survive and Thrive in Complex Times
  2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
  Learn how to navigate the changing health care landscape while thriving in academic cardiology.
• FIT Forum – Mix and Mingle
  3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
  Don't miss this important opportunity to network with some of the most influential cardiologists in the world in this networking event designed specifically for FITs.

Sunday, April 3

• FIT Forum – Stump the Professor
  8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
  Learn from master clinicians as they critically examine challenging cases presented by FITs.
• FIT Jeopardy Tournament
  9:45 – 11:45 a.m. and 2:15 – 3:15 p.m.
  Cheer on your co-fellows in the semi-finals and finals as the champions are crowned!
• Young Investigator Awards Competition
  10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
  Learn from emerging leaders as they present groundbreaking presentations.
• FIT Forum – Scholarship & Education
  12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
  Come hear from internationally renowned experts on how to successfully engage in research during fellowship and develop a successful investigative career.

Monday, April 4

• Young Investigator Awards Competition
  8:00 – 9:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
  Learn from emerging leaders as they present groundbreaking presentations.
• FIT Forum – Acing the Transition: What FITs Need to Know to Launch a Successful Career
  12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
  Don't miss this session as experts guide you through your final year of fellowship and give tips on studying for boards, selecting the right job, negotiating contracts, malpractice insurance and financial planning.
• Careers in Cardiology
  2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
  This key session will help you learn the career arc of successful cardiologists from academics to private practice, from mentee to mentor, and from early career to mid-career.

Back by popular demand this year is the FIT Lounge in the Lounge & Learn Pavilion, your physical "home" during ACC.16. Sit back, relax, enjoy food and refreshments, network with colleagues, and meet with leading luminaries. This year, we are pleased to present several interactive sessions in the FIT Lounge:

Saturday, April 2

• Meet and Greet with Richard A. Chazal, MD, FACC, president-elect of the ACC, and Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, MACC, editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology
  11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
• Free Networking lunch
  12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
  Meet fellows from around the country and build lifelong relationships.

Sunday, April 3

• Meet and Greet with ACC President Kim Allan Williams Sr., MD, FACC
  11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
• Surgery Meet and Greet
  3:30 – 4:45 p.m.
  Learn how cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons can forge effective collaborations, especially in the care of complex and structural interventions.

Monday, April 4

• Medical Resident Breakfast
  8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
  Resident members interested in careers in cardiology will get advice on the application process from current FITs.
• Clinician Educator Workshop
  9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
  Learn from Master Clinician, Kim A. Eagle, MD, MACC, on how to become a superb clinician and teacher. Then, engage in a hands-on workshop on developing teaching scripts!
• Meet and Greet with Early Career Faculty
  11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
  Meet Anthony Hilliard, MD, FACC, chair of the Early Career Section Leadership Council, and Evan Ownby, MD, FACC.

Make sure to also stop by the Career Resource Center in the Lounge & Learn Pavilion to receive a professional headshot and check out the cardiovascular review offerings.

As you can see, there are plenty of outstanding sessions geared towards FITs at ACC.16. Don't forget to use the ACC hashtags #ACCFIT (for content relevant to FITs) and #ACC16 on Twitter and Facebook! Follow @ACCCardioEd on Twitter for the latest news and get a glimpse of the FIT Jeopardy action by using hashtag #ACCFITJeopardy!

We sincerely hope you enjoy your stay in Chicago and look forward to meeting you.

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This article was authored by Akhil Narang, MD, member of the Fellows in Training (FIT) Section Leadership Council, and Shashank S. Sinha, MD, chair of the FIT Section Leadership Council.