After attending the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants annual conference and meeting, first-year MMSc-A student Enkhjin Enkhsaikhan submitted this reflection.
I’ve had a couple of great opportunities to attend national conferences through my previous school clubs and have come to expect certain things, both good and bad. However, this time attending the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistant 2022 Annual Meeting was beyond my expectations – all of them good.
This was my first time attending a professional conference that catered directly toward my interests and my future profession. The meeting began with a keynote speech by the former Surgeon General Jerome Adams, M.D. (pictured) who spoke of his life before his pursuit of medicine, his love for the profession and all the lessons he learned during and after serving in the White House.
It was interesting to hear from Dr. Adams’ own perspective of the many policies and decisions he had to make when our nation was going through one of the most medically turbulent and historic times. His speech made me ponder my ever-growing wish to continue in this field and proudly serve as a medical provider.
Besides Dr. Adams, there were many other top presenters in their respective fields. Their passion and willingness to teach and pass on even the smallest of information went beyond what was asked of them, and I appreciated every lecture I was able to attend.
Another highlight of the meeting was the career fair. As a first year, nuances of the profession are still very new to me. Being surrounded by upperclassmen who are amid their job hunts, along with vendors and representatives of hospitals and universities who are potential future employers gave me a more realistic frame of reference on what to expect and what things that I need to look out for when it is my turn next year.
However, the time I got to spend with my classmates and new friends from other programs really capped off the entire experience. Getting to know my future coworkers in between lectures or while treading the Florida waves, it was amazing to see the differences and similarities of our programs and curriculum, our clinical experiences and stories thus far, and the general outlook toward our careers as CAAs.
My expectations going into the AAAA 2022 Annual Meeting were all met and exceeded. Now I have a new appreciation and love for both my program and the career – and I can’t wait to attend next year’s meeting in Dallas!