Q&A: What to expect at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting
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Key takeaways:
- This year’s PAS will introduce a “works in progress” category for late-breaking abstracts.
- The meeting marks the final year for the outgoing program chair.
Participation in the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting is back to pre-COVID-19 levels of engagement, according to one of the event’s program chairs.
The conference — a yearly collaboration between the AAP, American Pediatric Society, the Society for Pediatric Research and the Academic Pediatrics Association — runs from May 2 to May 6 in Toronto.
Healio will be covering the meeting live again this year. For a preview of what we can expect, we spoke with Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, professor of pediatrics at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) program chair-elect, and outgoing PAS program chair Judith Shaw, EdD, MPH, RN, FAAP, professor of general pediatrics at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine.
Healio: How competitive was the abstract selection process this year?
Rauch: The issue every year isn't competitiveness as much as quality. We have a rigorous review process and we try to get all the high-quality submissions presented. We also provide all authors with feedback from the reviewers so the submission process itself is valuable to the authors.
A change this year was the date of submission. For logistical reasons in putting together the premier pediatric research conference, the submission date was moved up by 2 months. We recognized that this may have impacted trainees' ability to complete a submission in time for the earlier date. To address this, we implemented a new category of “works in progress” so that there was an avenue for those trainees to still submit their work that they would have been able to submit by the previous deadline.
Healio: What do you take into consideration when setting the program?
Rauch: We have an active program committee that helps select from all the submitted content to design a robust and diverse program each year.
Shaw: The program committee leadership team has the final responsibility for ensuring a balanced program, with sessions that reach all attendees.
Healio: Were there certain topics you favored over others this year, such as respiratory syncytial virus, for example?
Rauch: We try to be sensitive to hot topics, but the content is really determined by what is submitted. We represent so many engaged researchers in a broad array of pediatric specialties that we regularly receive so many outstanding topics.
Healio: Is there a theme to this year’s conference or a larger focus?
Rauch: There is no theme but we are glad to be back to pre-COVID levels of engagement in terms of submissions and registration. We know many people and institutions are still facing many ongoing challenges, so it is very gratifying to see that science continues to advance.
Healio: Dr. Rauch, what are you hoping to bring to PAS as the new program chair?
Rauch: I'm hoping to continue to walk the tightrope of past chairs in keeping aspects of the meeting that keep people coming back every year while trying to consider changes to improve the attendee experience. We will continue to solicit and present the science. We will continue to provide opportunities for networking and cross-disciplinary connections. We will evaluate the "works in progress” to see if it is worth continuing going forward. We will look at technology and how it is impacting medicine as well as how it can impact how we present the meeting. We are definitely hoping to engage with more international partners next year when the meeting in is Hawaii.
Healio: Dr. Shaw, what have been some of your favorite or proudest moments as program chair?
Shaw: Weathering the travel challenges the past few years as we support the academic achievements of pediatric scholars through virtual and now in-person meetings. There is no substitute for the face-to-face contact and networking that takes place at PAS, and I’m thrilled with the high-quality science being presented and attendance at this year’s meeting. A favorite moment last year was listening and observing people meeting each other face-to-face for the first time and not just a “face in a box on a flat screen.” I am so proud of our PAS staff, who make the program sing and work tirelessly to ensure a seamless meeting.
We compiled a sampling of stories and videos from the 2023 conference:
Reframing HPV shot as cancer vaccine improved uptake among 9-year-olds
Jonathan M. Miller, MD, chief of primary care for Nemours Children’s Heath in Wilmington, Delaware, presented findings at the meeting from a primary care network-wide initiative to increase HPV vaccine update. Read more.
Pediatric vaccine adherence was improving before pandemic, but not for everyone
Sophia R. Newcomer, PhD, MPH, an associate professor at the University of Montana School of Public and Community Health Sciences, discussed how vaccine adherence was increasing among children in the U.S. in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, but rates differed by socioeconomic status. Read more.
VIDEO: Observation time for anaphylaxis can safely be reduced
Most children who visit the ED with anaphylaxis can safely be discharged after 2 hours of observation or less, Tim Dribin, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, told Healio. Watch here.
VIDEO: Children living in states with lenient gun laws have higher death rate
Children living in states with more lenient firearm policies have a significantly higher death rate compared with those in states with stricter legislation, Amber McKenna, MD, a pediatric resident physician at LSU Health Shreveport, told Healio. Watch here.
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