Virtually Hosting a National Medical Society Conference. Lessons Learned from the 2020 Association of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Program Directors Conference

Gabriel T Bosslet; Hugo Carmona; Kristin M Burkart; Jennifer McCallister; Joyce Reitzner; Maryl Kreider; Peter H Lenz

doi:10.34197/ats-scholar.2020-0054IN

Virtually Hosting a National Medical Society Conference. Lessons Learned from the 2020 Association of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Program Directors Conference

ATS Sch. 2020 Jul 30;1(3):307-315. doi: 10.34197/ats-scholar.2020-0054IN.

Authors

Gabriel T Bosslet¹, Hugo Carmona², Kristin M Burkart³, Jennifer McCallister⁴, Joyce Reitzner⁵, Maryl Kreider⁶, Peter H Lenz⁷

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Occupational Medicine, Office of Faculty Affairs, Professional Development, and Diversity, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
² Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
³ Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York.
⁴ Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.
⁵ Association of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Program Directors, Chicago, Illinois.
⁶ Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and.
⁷ Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic forced the Association of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Program Directors to change the 2020 annual conference to a virtual format with relatively short notice. Using the experience of the planning committee and survey feedback from attendees, we describe the steps taken to implement a virtual conference and lessons learned in the process. The lessons described include frequent and concise communication, establishment of roles within a discrete production team, preparing speakers with a protocolized training session, active moderation of the chat box, using interactive polling and online documents to improve interactivity, a shorter agenda with more frequent breaks, encouraging "virtual happy hours" to connect with colleagues, and establishing facilitators for breakout rooms.

Keywords: conference; education; online conference; virtual learning.