Dear Associate Fellows,

This is an update to remind you about some important dates in relation to the next AsMA Annual Scientific Meeting in 2019, and the Scientific Program Committee meeting in November 2018 (see further details below).

Important Dates

23 October 2018 – Deadline for hotel registration for the 2018 Scientific Program Committee meeting (see details below)

23 October 2018 – Preferred date for return of ‘RSVP’ form for attendance at the Scientific Program Committee meeting (see details below)

23 October 2018 – preferred deadline for ‘remote reviewer’ expressions of interest via email to the Program Chair at [email protected]  (EoIs will be accepted up to 1 November but email in advance preferred so AsMA can respond with some rules and a form for remote review)

1 November 2018 – Closing date for Abstract and Panel submissions for the 2019 AsMA Annual Scientific Meeting

2 November 2018 – Assignment of abstracts for review

21 November 2018 – Deadline for submission of abstract reviews

29 November 2018 – AsMA Scientific Program Committee meeting in Alexandria

5-9 May 2019 – AsMA Annual Scientific Meeting in Las Vegas

Associate Fellows Group Survey

The Associate Fellows Group is keen to raise its awareness of members who are attending either or both of these meetings and wish to participate in the Annual Scientific Meeting in one way or another. We would also like to promote amongst the Group abstracts and Panels submitted by members to help spread awareness of the great work that members are doing. To that end, we would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes of your time to complete this short survey:

AsMA AFG Survey of Members – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kRJ7GocWCtaX_kioRLaRXgWW_bhsZ3WztDBG-LWmi68/edit?usp=sharing

Submission of Abstracts and Panels for Annual Scientific Meeting

Submissions for abstracts and Panels for the 2019 AsMA Annual Scientific Meeting are closing soon on 1 November: https://asma-abstracts.secure-platform.com/a/organizations/main/home

At times in the past, the Associate Fellows Group has been able to ‘sponsor’ a Panel consisting of Associate Fellows. The requirements for Panels have evolved over the years. A panel now needs to be a very cohesive group of abstracts on a topic where all of the abstracts present aspects of a problem, process, research project, or case (being a group of doctors from an institution, branch of service, etc., is not enough). We have been advised that it would be possible to have a Panel for instance on the “Latest aeromedical science from the Associate Fellows” but the abstracts must be related, even if the whole Panel is sponsored by the AFG,  e.g., there cannot have one abstract on physical standards, one on operational physiology, etc.  Abstracts should be related, and flow logically from one to another. Panels should have 5 abstracts (but no less than 4), to allow for robust discussion at the end of the session. (For further information please see the submission page web link above).

Any Associate Fellows who are planning to put together a Panel or who are interested in putting together a Panel prior to the submission date are encouraged to fill in the survey form, or alternatively to reply to this email so that your details can be passed on to the AFG Scientific Program Committee for further liaison.

AsMA Scientific Program Committee Meeting

Turning to the AsMA Scientific Program Committee meeting, those present will review all of the submitted abstracts and schedule them for presentation. They will also assign chairs for the Slide and Poster sessions. If there are Associate Fellows at the meeting, it is useful to know that if you volunteer to chair a session you can get points towards Fellowship.

Here is the official information from AsMA about the Scientific Program Meeting:

The next Scientific Program Committee (SPC) meeting will meet Thursday, November 29, 2018 from 8:30am – 5:00pm. The meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza Old Town Alexandria Hotel, 901 North Fairfax Drive, Alexandria, VA 22314 (703-299-4960).

If you are interested in reviewing abstracts and have not submitted your RSVP form or made hotel reservations, please do so before October 23, 2018. The completed RSVP form should be sent to Gisselle Vargas by email at [email protected] or fax at (703) 739-9652. Hotel reservations should be made directly with the hotel by calling (877) 317-5752. To receive the special contracted rates, the attendees must identify themselves as being part of the Aerospace Medical Association group. 

If you are unable to attend in person but would like to participate as a remote reviewer, please send a note to the Program Chair at [email protected] and we will contact you with details.

Please note: AsMA cannot provide any financial support for those wanting to participate in the SPC.