Dear Colleagues,
In the past year, our world has endured a devastating period during which many of us have suffered and struggled with the various repercussions of the pandemic. Due to the miracle of science, however, there is light at the end of the tunnel. In the US, we expect that by June, most Americans who wish to do so will be vaccinated, which should allow us hopefully to return to some kind of normalcy.
Last year, as you know, we did not allow the social distancing and quarantine restrictions to stop us from organizing our annual fall meeting through a virtual platform. And, despite it being hugely successful on the scientific level, it lacked what makes SMSNA meetings so wonderful, the human interactions and the camaraderie engendered from meeting friends and colleagues to exchange ideas, debate controversial topics, and share meals and perhaps a few drinks. This year, however, we hope to finally return to this tradition and offer a face-to-face meeting in the beautiful surroundings of the Westin Kierland resort in Scottsdale, AZ.
To that end, we have worked diligently to put together a comprehensive and inclusive program that we hope will appeal to SMSNA members and non-members of various backgrounds.
The meeting will start on Thursday October 21st and run through Sunday the 24th. The meeting will include 2 instructional courses, 13 abstract sessions, 10 specialty sessions, 2 plenary sessions, an exciting debate session, a basic science symposium, and a residents educational course, amongst others.
We are excited to offer this year novel and perhaps sometimes controversial sexual medicine discussions on ethical issues, inclusion and LGBTQ considerations, pregnancy and infertility, genital cosmetic surgery, voiding dysfunction, genital anatomy and pain, lifestyle, in addition to our typical topics. This year, for the first time, we have omitted having a standalone mental health symposium and opted to integrate mental health into every session to insure a more holistic approach to our patients.
On Thursday, our program will kick off with 2 state of the art courses on regenerative therapies for sexual dysfunction and fundamentals in women’s sexual health and a basic science symposium, followed by a Keynote Lecture that you will NOT want to miss, and an opening ceremony headlined by the Presidential Lecture by Dr. Serge Carrier. Finally, the evening will conclude with our annual reception, an opportunity for all of us to catch up with old friends and make new ones!
Friday will begin with a plenary session focused on “What’s the Buzz” in sexual medicine, from guidelines, to cost-effectiveness of healthcare, new CPT changes in 2021 and the role of telemedicine in the treatment of sexual dysfunction. Following all the abstract and specialty sessions, the evening will conclude with the much anticipated Young Clinicians Mixer and the Foundation Event.
Saturday will begin with a 2-hour dedicated IPP plenary session that should cover all pertinent issues from the patient, surgery and device perspectives and end with an expert roundtable on the management of dreadful complications. The day will culminate with the Residents Arena where we will have the opportunity to celebrate our trainees.
Finally, on Sunday, the meeting will conclude following the Take Home Messages and Awards Reception!
We look forward to seeing all of you in person in Sunny Arizona!
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Faysal A. Yafi, MD, FRCSC and Lawrence C. Jenkins, MD, MBA, FACS
SMSNA Meeting Committee Chair and Co-Chair
