The American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine (ACP-ASIM) will hold its Annual Session April 11-14, 2002, in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. More than 5,000 internists and other health professionals are expected to attend the four-day continuing education meeting, which will offer 275 courses in internal medicine.

ACP-ASIM has expanded its coverage of bioterrorism and related issues and will be offering four sessions: "Bioterrorism," "Chemical and Environmental Weapons," "Vaccines: A Front Line Defense Against Bioterrorism," and "Recognizing and Treating the Psychological Effects of Terrorism."

Other topics will include antibiotic resistance, complementary and alternative medicine, end-of-life care, ethics and health policy, patient safety, substance abuse, and women's health. Subspecialty areas such as cardiology, gastroenterology, and infectious diseases will also be covered. Prior to the meeting, eight intensive one- and two-day courses will be held, including "Rheumatology from Head to Toe," "Advances in Drug Therapy for the Practicing Internist," and "Contemporary Answers to Troubling Questions in Diabetes and Cardiology."

The ACP-ASIM Annual Session presents courses in a variety of formats, including small lectures with an expert ("Meet the Professor"); updates (reviewing a year's advances in a single specialty); panels (controversial topics with different expert perspectives), and workshops. "Multiple Small Feedings of the Mind," a highly rated course format, addresses some of the most common, yet challenging or controversial, patient-management issues. The "Clinical Pearls" format, introduced at the 2001 meeting, will test doctors' skills on a given case by polling the audience electronically.

The Learning Center will offer various stations where internists can refine hands-on skills in gynecologic and sports medicine examinations, for example, and practice procedures such as skin biopsy and the casting and splinting of limbs.

For more information about the Annual Session or related pre-Session courses, click here to visit the ACP-ASIM Web site.

ACP-ASIM is the nation's largest medical specialty society. Its membership comprises more than 115,000 internal medicine physicians and medical students. ACP-ASIM is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. ACP-ASIM designates its Annual Session for up to 36 hours in category I credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award.