Make the most of SIR 2016!


How do you make the most of the myriad opportunities available at an SIR annual meeting? SIR members share their top tips:


• I find that the hands-on workshop sessions make very good use of my time.


• Selective didactic series of courses on newer applications of IR (e.g., oncologic locoregional therapies) have been good.


• Of course, time spent in the commercial exhibits is often informative.


—Harry Cramer, MD


Attendees have the opportunity to earn 31.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. SIR continues to expand its self-assessment module (SAM) program and SIR 2016 will contain 18 SAM sessions and be approved for 27 SAM credits.


The schedule offers more than 200 sessions across 16 different educational pathways. Highlights of this year’s programming includes:


In addition to the most current clinical research, other discussions will explore the social, political and economic issues important to the IR community.


The SIR 2016 plenary sessions feature the specialty’s top thought-leaders on


• My favorite thing about the annual meeting is catching up with old friends and making new connections. There are events for women in IR, IRs-in-training and early career that are great for meeting new people.


• With so many simultaneous lectures, I find the different “Educational Pathways” helpful in identifying those in which I have a particular interest and I use the app to help get me through my day.


• Of course, there is no way to see it all and I’ve found the digital video library to be a great resource (and a good way to get CME credits) later in the year.


— Jennifer Montgomery, MD, Content Review Chair


• Arrive fresh and undistracted by getting adequate sleep, nutrition and self- care the weeks leading up to the conference.


• Be proactive about planning which sessions and meetings are your A1 priority so that other activities can be arranged around those.


• Consider focusing on areas of weakness, rather than what you may be most interested in.


• Purchase recorded course materials of the entire meeting, for the sessions that may be conflicting with other events on your schedule, and to rewatch high yield sessions.


— Barbara Hamilton, MD, member, Women in IR (WIR) Governing Council


WINTER 2016 | IR QUARTERLY 23


• Plan early: Register early, so you can get a good nearby hotel, and use the program planner to see what topics really interest you. I usually pick some topics that are new and exciting, but I have found that I even enjoy topics for which I have a strong background and thriving practice. Some of the new formats, like the “Hands On” workshops and “Meet the Experts” have limited enrollment and fill up early.


• Figure out what you need: Early on, I never took the time to figure out what CME I needed; now with MOC it’s critical to attend the ever- important SA-CME (for which you need a keypad that you should rent at registration). I also really enjoy getting to explore the expo floor for new products and technology— it can seem overwhelming but these are the innovations that attracted me to IR as a medical student in the first place.


• Meet people: Put yourself out there and say hello. As the years go by and you continue to attend, you tend to meet more like-minded people and create a nice network. It’s fun to meet up with old fellowship buddies and mentors or just people who you’ve met at lunch—we’re all in the same community.


• Don’t forget to enjoy it: One of the best parts of all conferences is the ability to travel and enjoy yourself. Take some time to see the sites, eat like a local and take a break from your responsibilities. One of my partners and I always make it a point to find each host city’s Chinatown for dim sum. I always feel reinvigorated when I return home from SIR, from taking a few days to myself in addition to all the new information I can bring back to my practice. You’ll be happier when you return.


— Raj Pyne, MD, member, SIR Early Career Section


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