At the Academy, being nimble is our modus operandi
From the President
Dr. Thiers served as Academy president from March 2020 to March 2021.
By Bruce Thiers, MD, July 1, 2020
In recent years, your Academy has made it a priority to be more nimble and more proactive to keep up with the times. During his term as Academy President, my predecessor, George Hruza, MD, MBA, often stated that the Academy is endeavoring to operate more like a speedboat than as a supertanker, a philosophy necessary to adapt to the changing world of health care. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it even more clear that those of us in health care need to be ready to pivot on a dime, and that is exactly what your Academy is doing.
As we are all aware, the Academy’s Board of Directors made the prudent decision to cancel the 2020 Annual Meeting. This was an incredibly difficult decision that came after an extensive and deliberative process where we weighed several challenging factors. When the meeting was canceled, however, your Academy did not sit back and rest. We know how much you value the opportunity to meet with colleagues, engage in quality CME opportunities, and hear from the leaders in various dermatologic fields of study. Without pausing, your Academy assembled a team of staff and physician volunteers and got to work to produce a fully digital experience.
Less than three months after the difficult decision to cancel the meeting, your Academy pivoted and successfully launched AAD VMX (or the Academy Virtual Meeting Experience)! From June 12-14, many of your colleagues participated in this outstanding educational live and online event from the comfort of their homes and/or offices.
Many of you took advantage of the opportunity to receive needed CME credits. Many of you “sat in” on more than a dozen robust sessions on multiple topics — from managing epidermolysis bullosa to treating nail disorders in children. We were treated to live Q&As with presenters as if we were in the room face to face, and we also had the opportunity to take a look at more than 900 posters. For residents, we offered several sessions catering to their needs such as Conquer the Boards, and those who look forward to the exhibits every year had the opportunity to chat live with the exhibitors!
Did you miss AAD VMX? Not to worry! VMX will be available on demand until Dec. 31.
Putting this incredible AAD VMX together in such a short time was a truly herculean endeavor. I know that our Academy staff and volunteers worked tirelessly to make this a successful event. For that they should earn a standing ovation. I am proud to be a member of the Academy for its ability and willingness to be nimble and proactive during such a difficult time.
