February 21, 2018 | Ada C. Stefanescu Schmidt, MD MSc
Education

We are less than a month away from ACC.18 and we couldn't be more excited about all the sessions geared specifically for FITs! Read on for handy details and tips, and a preview of not-to-miss sessions. For the list of sessions that will be of particular interest to FITs, go to the Online Planner or ACC.18 App and select the "Fellow in Training" Practice Focus. Sessions include Building for the Future: Navigating ACHD Fellowship; FIT Forum: Scholarship and Education; Acing the Transition: What FITs Need to Know to Launch a Healthy, Successful Career; Critical Care Cardiology: The Why, The Where, and The How of Training; Jeopardy and FIT Lounge schedules, and more. New this year is a packed scheduled of interactive simulation sessions in the Sim Center, right across from the FIT Lounge. Sessions will fill up fast, so come when you have time to sign-up. The FIT Lounge will always have great company with a place to rest and unwind (and eat snacks). We look forward to seeing you there!

Not-to-miss sessions in the FIT Lounge are:

• The Pearls of Leadership, Meet and Greet with ACC Leaders, Saturday, March 10, at 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. This is an incredible opportunity to meet and hear the perspective of current ACC President Mary Norine Walsh, MD, FACC, and incoming President C. Michael Valentine, MD, FACC.
• Social Media Session on Saturday, March 10, at 11:15 a.m. This session will provide tips and guidance on the use of social media in personal and professional life. It will also be a great way to learn and network with social media faculty such as Kevin R. Campbell, MD, FACC; Michael Gibson, MD; Martha Gulati, MD, MS, FACC; and other FITs.
• Successful Mentorship: Preparing Tomorrow's Leaders Today, Sunday, March 11, at 12:30 p.m. All-start panelists Anthony DeMaria, MD, MACC; Poonam Velagapudi, MD, MS; Morton Kern, MD, FACC; Ajay J. Kirtane, MD, FACC; Martin Leon, MD, FACC; Athena Poppas, MD, FACC; Tanush Gupta, MD; and Emily Lau, MD, will discuss key elements of mentorship. Topics will include the importance of having a mentor; when, where and how to find the right mentor; defining the role of a mentee; understanding the expectations from a mentor-mentee relationship; and emphasizing differences in mentorship needs based on stage of training and practice on the career path chosen.
• Keeping it Cool: Preventing Burnout by Promoting Physician Wellbeing, Sunday, March 11, at 4:30 p.m. Unwind from a long day and learn skills to take care of your health and wellbeing. Panelists will include Suzanne Brown Sacks, MD, FACC; John P. Erwin III, MD FACC; and other FITs.

Fantastic sessions elsewhere in the convention center:

• FIT Forum: Scholarship and Education, Saturday, March 10, at 4:45 p.m. This session is devoted to helping FITs gain the requisite skill sets to be successful in all aspects of research – from choosing the right project, determining a scholarly niche, and writing and publishing manuscripts, to obtaining grant funding in a competitive milieu. This session will empower FITs to transition from fellow to junior faculty with confidence.
• Stump the Professor, Sunday, March 11, at 8 a.m.: Come watch and learn from cases presented by FITs to master clinicians and teachers, including Carole A. Warnes, MD, FACC; Patrick T. O'Gara, MD, MACC; and Blase A. Carabello, MD, FACC.
• Acing the Transition: What FITs Need to Know to Launch a Healthy, Successful Career, Sunday, March 11, at 12:30 p.m. A FIT favorite every year, this session will address interviewing and negotiation, and discuss strategies for effective communication and networking. We will discuss key elements of the job search strategy including delivering the "elevator speech," selecting the right position, how to present yourself successfully as a new hire and strategies for starting a career with a healthy work-life balance. In addition to FITs, this session benefits those in the early career stages, as they also navigate contracts and aim to become a successful addition to their department or practice. Thus, new for ACC.18 are discussions of wellness, as well as collaboration with the Early Career Council, to develop a post-session casual and conversational question and answer panel hosted jointly by the Early Career Council and the FIT Council in the FIT lounge.

We look forward to seeing you at ACC.18! There are many ways to get involved, come find one of us or email fellowsintraining@acc.org.

This article was authored by Ada C. Stefanescu Schmidt, MD MSc, Editor-in-Chief, ACC On-Call for FITs Newsletter.