2010 PsychSIGN National Conference: New Orleans

The Psychiatry Student Interest Group Network and the American Psychiatric Association are thrilled to announce the fifth annual PsychSIGN National Conference, May 21-23, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The purpose of this meeting is to foster a sense of community among medical students interested in psychiatry, while also providing education, discourse on current issues in psychiatry, and exposure to the broad range of possibilities in the field.

The PsychSIGN conference is held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. The APA generously sponsors lodging, conference costs, and meals for at least one student from each medical school in the United States and Canada, with additional students to be sponsored as funding permits on a first come, first served basis. We ask that each medical school provide for the travel costs of its attendees.

Our meeting is a wonderful opportunity for students to interact with their colleagues from across the country, as well as to learn more about psychiatry and discover new ways to create dialogue about mental health and wellness issues at their home institutions. It includes talks by renowned psychiatrists as well as interactive workshops led by medical students and residents. This year, the conference will also feature a poster session where students can present their work, and an opportunity to give back to our host city by participating in a community service activity. Please click here to register. The deadline for registration is: April 30, 2010

Tentative Schedule:

Friday, May 21

6:30pm Dinner

9:00pm Meet & Greet

Saturday, May 22

9:00am-6:00pm Plenary Speakers, Workshops, Regional Elections

Sunday, May 23

10:00am Residency Panel

11:30am Community Service & Executive Board Transition

Poster abstracts should be sent to psychsign@gmail.com by April 15, 2010.

We will also be holding an essay competition, with prizes to be awarded at the meeting. To participate, please compose a one-page piece about your school’s interest group and its current and possible future activities, as well as the ways in which the PsychSIGN meeting might be useful to you. Alternatively, you may write about the new developments in psychiatry that you find most interesting. Please send your essay to psychsign@gmail.com by April 30, 2010.