Welcome to Medical Meetings' 27th Annual Directory of Medical Associations and Meetings. This comprehensive listing is designed to help medical conference planners avoid scheduling conflicts, seek possible meeting partners, and keep abreast of the health care education programs their association colleagues are offering.

Biomedical, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies can use the Annual Directory of Medical Associations and Meetings to research medical conventions at which they may want to exhibit.

The directory includes listings of associations holding meetings for the entire gamut of the health care professions. Associations are categorized by specialty and by meeting date and site.

WHAT'S IN THE LISTINGS Detailed information about individual associations and their meetings can be found in the Health Care Categories Index, beginning on page 29. Categories range from addiction to veterinary medicine. Here readers will find the full name of the association, its telephone and fax numbers, a contact name at the organization, and where available, the association's Web site and contact person's e-mail address. Also included is the organization's annual meeting budget, the number of members, the estimated number of attendees at its most recent annual meeting, and whether or not the meeting allows exhibits.

The date and location of the 2001 meeting is given along with, where possible, dates and locations for meetings through 2002. Also listed is the registration fee and the number of Category 1 continuing medical education credits available at the conference.

An association that is not holding an annual meeting in 2001 is indicated by the words "not held" at its meeting date entry. An association that did not respond to our requests for information about its 2001 meeting is indicated by the words "not given" at its meeting date entry.

GEOGRAPHICAL, ALPHABETICAL, AND DATES INDEXES Meetings are geographically indexed beginning on page 13, chronologically indexed beginning on page 95, and alphabetically indexed beginning on page 99. The Advertisers Index is on page 104.

DISCLAIMER Medical Meetings makes every effort to publish accurate meeting information, but neither this publication nor any of its employees assumes liability for errors in listings. Before making travel plans, please make sure to verify all pertinent information with the sponsoring organization.