February 15, 2017 | Poonam Velagapudi, MD, MS and
Akhil Narang, MD
Education

Greetings! We hope you are as excited as we are for ACC's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.17), March 17 – 19 in Washington, DC! As the conference is just around the corner, we wish to orient you to the vast array of exciting programming for Fellows in Training (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. Also, be sure to check out the FIT and Early Career Professionals page on the ACC.17 site for more information.

First, be sure to download the ACC.17 App on your smartphone, which will be available before the end of the month. Once you have the updated app, 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:

Friday, March 17

• FIT Jeopardy: Battle of the State Chapters
  9:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. and 1:45 – 3:45 p.m.
  Cheer on your co-fellows from around the country in the Battle of the State Chapters!
• 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.
• FIT Forum – Stump the Professor
  4:45 – 6:00 p.m.
  Learn from master clinicians as they critically examine challenging cases presented by FITs.

Saturday, March 18

• FIT Forum – Scholarship & Education
  8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
  Come hear from internationally renowned experts on how to successfully engage in research during fellowship and develop a successful investigative career.
• FIT Jeopardy Semi-Finals
  9:45 – 11:45 a.m.
  Cheer on your co-fellows in the semi-finals as teams make their way to the finals.
• FIT Forum – Acing the Transition: What FITs Need to Know to Launch a Successful Career
  10:45 a.m. – 12:15 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.
• FIT Jeopardy Championship
  2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
  Cheer on as the best team is crowned winner in the finals.
• Mentoring the Care Team: FITs, Early Career Professionals and CV Team Members
  4:45 – 6:00 p.m.
  Don't miss this mentoring session for FITs, early career professionals and CV team members.

Back by popular demand this year is the FIT Lounge in the Lounge & Learn Pavilion, your physical "home" during ACC.17. 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, March 18

• Meet-and-Greet With Mary Norine Walsh, MD, FACC, president-elect of the ACC
  12:15 – 1:00 p.m.
  Visit the FIT Lounge to talk with ACC senior faculty about their experiences and learn how they got to where they are today.
• Meet-and-Greet with Kim Eagle, MD, MACC, editor-in-chief of ACC.org
  1:00 – 1:45 p.m.
  Visit the FIT Lounge to talk with ACC senior faculty about their experiences and learn how they got to where they are today.
• Social Media 101 – Moderated by Kevin Campbell, MD, FACC
  3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
  An interactive session where FITs can obtain guidance and tips on how to prepare for a TV/radio interview and build a media career/brand while practicing full time medicine and how best to use social media in medicine.

Sunday, March 19

• Medical Resident Breakfast
  8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
  Resident members interested in careers in cardiology will get advice on the application process from current FITs.
• Meet-and-Greet with Valentine Fuster, MD, PhD, MACC, editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology
  10:00 – 10:45 a.m.
  Visit the FIT Lounge to talk with ACC senior faculty about their experiences and learn how they got to where they are today.
• Meet-and-Greet with Richard Chazal, MD, FACC, president of the ACC
  12:15 – 1:00 p.m.
  Visit the FIT Lounge to talk with ACC senior faculty about their experiences and learn how they got to where they are today.

Also be sure to check out the ACC PAC Lounge, where the ACC Political Action Committee (PAC) will be hosting a lunch for FIT and Early Career Members on Friday, March 17 from 12 – 1 p.m. Per FEC law, attendance is restricted to ACC members who are U.S. residents. RSVPs are required to attend; look for invitations to come.

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.17. Don't forget to use the ACC hashtags #ACCFIT (for content relevant to FITs) and #ACC17 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 Washington, DC and look forward to meeting you.

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This article was authored by Poonam Velagapudi, MD, MS, chair-elect of the Fellows in Training (FIT) Section Leadership Council, and Akhil Narang, MD, chair of the FIT Section Leadership Council.