It is that time again! The 2009 annual meeting of COMSEP, Education Across the Continuum, will be held April 28-May 1, 2009 at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel and the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. As representatives of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and University of Maryland Medical School, we are honored to be your program hosts.

As many of you know, this meeting will feature a combined meeting day with the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD). This groundbreaking event will allow us to better align our educational endeavors with those of our residency program colleagues.

Our agenda begins in the afternoon of April 28^th. COMSEP Pre-conference workshops will include "The New Clerkship Director," "Simulation and the COMSEP Curriculum," and "Developing Ideas and Tools for Successful Leadership." Our full COMSEP program begins on April 29^th and includes a variety of timely and relevant presentations, workshops, and task force meetings related to important topics in pediatric education.

The Marriott Inner Harbor Hotel is on the water bordering the Inner Harbor and the newly developed Harbor East. It is just a walk or water taxi ride away from great restaurants, movies, coffee shops, sight seeing, and historic sites. We are planning the 1^st Annual Richard Sarkin 5K Fun Walk which will include some steps along the Inner Harbor and then a turn uptown to see some of Baltimore's rich history. Walkers can stop at sites along the way, as long as they return to the hotel in time for dinner! Most of Baltimore's museums are free, including the Walter's Art Museum along our route - http://www.thewalters.org . Our group social event on Wednesday night will take place back at the Marriott with dinner music followed by dancing to the most requested songs of the 70's and 80's.

The combined COMSEP/APPD day will take place on April 30^th at the Baltimore Convention Center, a short distance from the Marriott. The day will feature workshops that have been specifically selected for their relevance to both clerkship directors and residency program directors. A combined COMSEP/APPD poster session and research presentations are also planned. The Annual Miller/Sarkin Lecture will occur on the combined meeting day. We are delighted to have Dr. Ken Roberts as our speaker this year. Dr. Roberts is Professor of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina and Director of the Pediatric Teaching Program at the Moses Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro, NC. Ken is known across the country as an expert in pediatric medical education and an advocate for students, residents, and faculty.

Average Baltimore daytime time temperatures in April are generally in the high 50's to low 60's. Expect a few showers. For those baseball fans arriving early, our hometown Orioles have a night game on Tuesday April 28^th - www.theorioles.com.

Remember that our meeting is open to anyone at your institution who is involved in medical student education. We always welcome new members to COMSEP and look forward to sharing ideas and reconnecting with valued friends and colleagues. We hope to see you in Baltimore. Don't miss this historic meeting in which pediatric clerkship directors and program directors come together for the first time on a national level.

Programs were mailed in February 2009. You may download the materials from the links below as well. Documents are also posted in the members-only library. If you have any questions about registration, please contact Lisa Elliott at 919-942-1993 or via e-mail at lhe@abpeds.org.

Meeting Program, Schedule, and Workshop Choices