Internal Medicine Meeting 2017, ACP's premier annual meeting, was held in San Diego, California March 30-April 1, 2017 and had an attendance of 7,781 physicians. The event featured more than 200 sessions covering a wide variety of clinical and practice management topics for doctors of internal medicine and its subspecialties. 1,090 attendees from outside the United States came to the meeting. The top three countries outside the United States with the highest number of attendees registered were Canada, Colombia, and Switzerland.
ACP once again this year offered discounted individual registration rates, as well as specially priced delegation rates, for attendees from selected countries. A total of eight delegations (10 or more physicians registered as a group) came from Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, and Switzerland.
An international attendee guide, in both English and Spanish, was available to meeting attendees that focused on matters of local interest and how to navigate the meeting.
At the Convocation ceremony on March 30, over 400 physicians were inducted as ACP Fellows and 73 were from 21 countries outside the United States. Over 70 members became Masters of the College or received another award. The College bestowed Honorary Fellowships to nine presidents of international internal medicine societies.
Following the ceremony, members, friends, and families gathered at the annual ACP International Reception that included over 300 international internal medicine leaders and attendees along with ACP leaders. During the reception, Nitin S. Damle, MD, MS, FACP, ACP President, gave a few words to welcome everyone. International Fellowship Exchange Program (IFEP) awardees were also recognized and honored at this event.
ACP was honored to host presidents and representatives of internal medicine societies from around the world. The international delegates were part of the stage party in the Convocation ceremony. They also participated in ACP's 11th Annual International Forum, titled "Reducing Overuse and Misuse: High Value Care and Choosing Wisely." The Forum provided an opportunity for ACP leaders and the presidents and special representatives from international internal medicine societies to discuss this important topic that crosses national boundaries and affects the health care of people around the world.
On Saturday, April 1, new ACP officers started their terms. Jack Ende, MD, MACP, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania became the 2017-18 ACP President; Susan Thompson Hingle, MD, FACP, of Springfield, Illinois became the 2017-18 Chair of the Board of Regents; Ana María López, MD, MPH, FACP, of Salt Lake City, Utah became the ACP President-elect; and Andrew Dunn, MD, MPH, FACP, SFHM, of Montebello, New York became the Chair-elect of the Board of Regents.
Internal Medicine Meeting 2018 will be held April 19-21 in New Orleans, Louisiana. For more information, please visit: https://im2018.acponline.org/.
Honorary Fellows
Left to right, back row: Dr. Selan Sayampanathan, Master, Academy of Medicine; Dr. Luís Manuel Barreto Campos, President of the Portuguese Society of Internal Medicine; Professor Lau Chak-Sing, President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine; Dr. Takashi Kadowaki, President of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine; and Dr. Catherine Yelland, President of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
Left to right, front row: Dr. Florencio Olmos, President of the Buenos Aires Society of Internal Medicine; Dr. Thomas G. Tape, 2016-17 ACP Chair, Board of Regents; Dr. Nitin S. Damle, 2016-17 ACP President; Dr. Evert-Jan F.M. de Kruijf, President of the Dutch Society of Internal Medicine.
Special Representatives
Left to right, back row: Dr. Heli Hernandez Ayazo, President of the Latin American Society of Internal Medicine (SOLAMI); Dr. Juan Barrios, President of the Panamanian Society of Internal Medicine; Dr. Maritza Duran, President of the Venezuelan Society of Internal Medicine; Dr. Jean-Michel Gaspoz, Co-President of the Swiss Society of General Internal Medicine; Dr. Johanna (Adri) Kok, President of Faculty Consulting Physicians of South Africa; Dr. Gustavo A. Parra Zuluaga, President of the Colombian Association of Internal Medicine; Dr. Amorn Leelarasamee, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand; Dr. Andrew F. Goddard, Registrar of the Royal College of Physicians – London; Dr. Choong Meng Chan, President of the College of Physicians of Singapore.
Left to right, front row: Dr. Fredy A. Figueroa Guilamo, President of the Internal Medicine Society of the Dominican Republic; Dr. Nenita Avena-Collantes, President of the Philippine College of Physicians; Professor Richard Ceska, President of the Czech Society of Internal Medicine; Dr. Sally Aman Nasution, Secretary General of the Indonesian Society of Internal Medicine; Dr. Thomas G. Tape, 2016-17 ACP Chair, Board of Regents; Dr. Nitin S. Damle, 2016-17 ACP President; Dr. Runolfur Palsson, President, European Federation of Internal Medicine; Dr. Hans-Peter Kohler, Secretary General, International Society of Internal Medicine; Dr. Letchuman Ramanathan, President of the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia; Dr. Eduardo Meneses Sierra, President of the Mexican College of Internal Medicine.