2012 Call for Proposals

The AAPM&R online submission site is now closed.

Each year, the AAPM&R Program Planning Committee invites proposals for educational sessions for the upcoming Annual Assembly. Many of the educational sessions at the Annual Assembly started as great topic ideas from members like you. The committee selects the proposals that are most aligned with the identified needs of the physiatric audience.

With a few simple steps, you can submit a session proposal that could be­come the next hit course or workshop at the AAPM&R 2012 Annual Assembly, November 15-18 in Atlanta, Georgia. Physiatrists from the area surrounding Atlanta and the Southeast are especially encouraged to submit proposals.

Gather your ideas

The first step in any session proposal involves coming up with a topic. Once you’ve chosen your topic, use these tips to guide the development of your idea:

  1. Determine the track. The AAPM&R Medical Education and Program Planning Committees reorganized the tracks for 2012 to better align with Academy members and their interests. When submitting proposals, you can submit for one of five 2012 educational tracks:

    • Musculoskeletal and Sports Medicine
    • Neurological Rehabilitation (includes TBI, stroke, SCI)
    • Practice Management
    • Pain and Spine Medicine
    • General Rehabilitation (includes neuromuscular medicine, pediatric rehabilitation, and medical rehabilitation)

  2. Choose the format. Think about the best format for your intended audience. Your Academy seeks a mix of hands-on workshops and dynamic courses.  Hands-on workshops have limited attendance to allow participants to engage in small-group learning activities that are skills-based.  Track courses are open to a wider audience and include more didactic and discussion-based learning.  All sessions should be learner-focused and interactive.

  3. Stay within the mission. To stand out and enhance your chances of acceptance, review the Academy’s vision, mission, and core purpose.

  4. Write learning objectives. What behavior are you trying to change? Learning objectives should be structured so that a change in learners’ competence, performance, or patient outcomes can be measured.

  5. Think about faculty. As you plan your content and invite faculty, remember that faculty who are Academy members and all faculty who are physiatrists receive faculty CME in addition to learner CME. The Academy has limited funding for non-member, non-physiatrists.

Other Considerations:

  • Have a valid e-mail address and full institutional contact information on-hand for each of your speakers before beginning the submission process.  If a speaker has participated in the Annual Assembly before, their information may be available in the system; however we want to ensure that all information is correct and updated.

  • Be prepared to provide financial disclosures and any FDA off-label use that will be discussed in your course/workshop.
  • If submitting a hands-on workshop proposal, have available your full set of needs for AV and special equipment. AV and special equipment will be confirmed if submission is accepted.

Mark your calendars: The Call for Abstracts opens January 6, 2012. 

Should my topic be a hands-on workshop?

If the objectives of your session include having physiatrists learn a new technique or skill in performing physical examination, manual medicine, electromyography or ultrasound scanning, then a hands-on workshop is the best format for your session.

The goal of the Annual Assembly hands-on workshop is to provide attendees with an exclusive learning opportunity in a small-group environment. Workshop attendance is never more than forty participants and is ticketed.