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Members Member Resources AAAAI News AAAAI eNews AAAAI Job Placement Center Promoting your Practice Order Public Education Materials Disease Management/ Ask the Expert Teaching Slides Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Education and Research Trust (ART) Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2007 Accomplishments Annual Meeting Executive Staff Contacts Online Membership Directory AAAAI Organizational Structure » Members Contact Members Town Hall Message Board AAAAI: Professional Home for the Practicing Allergist Grants and Awards Hot Topics Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (JCAAI) ST*AR Program AAAAI Assembly overview Allied Health Federation of the RSLAAI Societies International Military Allergy New Allergist/Immunologist Assembly Program Directors Organizational Chart Board of Directors Interest Sections Committees Fellows-in-Training Allied Health Professional Assembly Federation of RSLAAIS International Assembly Military Allergy Assembly New Allergist/Immunologist Assembly Program Directors Associates		Academy News: September 2005 FITs on assignment abroad By Sameer K. Mathur, MD,PhD, and Nathanael Horne, MD We were privileged to represent the AAAAI FIT Committee at the World Allergy Congress 2005 in Munich, Germany, held from June 26 to July 1, and co-sponsored by the EAACI and WAO, and wanted to share some of our thoughts on the experience. The opening ceremonies were a great representation of Bavarian hospitality and set the tone for an unforgettable cultural and scientific experience. The EAACI has a junior members section equivalent to the AAAAI fellows-in-training (FITs). There were several events organized by, and specifically for, junior members, including a Junior Members Poster Session with awards for the best posters, followed by an evening social event. In addition, there was a symposium, entitled “Allergy: Nature or Nurture,” an educational session on statistical analyses in medical research, and the presentation of research as posters, manuscripts or talks. It was exciting to see the number of different countries represented at this meeting, as there were delegates from all over the world. Many regional and national societies were represented and advertised their upcoming meeting agendas. In attending the scientific sessions, it was striking that many of the research questions in allergic disease are the same around the world. However, there were also many topics that included points of view and approaches slightly different from those typically presented in the United States. This meeting underscored the fact that allergic diseases are a global burden, and that collaboration and interaction with international colleagues will be of mutual benefit to both researchers and clinicians. Munich itself was clean and easy to navigate, with notable old-world and modern architecture, many museums and sites of historical interest, and beautiful outdoor areas, such as Olympic Park and the English Garden. The garden holds the distinction of hosting one of the premier sites in the world for river surfing where the Eisbach River flows into the park. Several tours and excursions of Munich and the surrounding areas were offered, including the castles of “Mad” King Ludwig II, Strasbourg, and the German Alps. Our accommodations were located near downtown Munich in close proximity to a number of historic sites and shopping areas. In addition, the conference sponsored a dinner served in the midst of Munich’s three world-class art museums, the old, new and modern Pinakothek, with free admission to all three museums. Often, attending an international meeting is prohibitive due to the cost. However as an FIT, there was a unique opportunity for a generous travel grant to cover a majority of the expenses. This included free registration for the meeting, four nights of shared hotel accommodations and a 700 Euro travel allowance. All juniors, FITs, graduate students and post-doctoral students submitting an abstract were eligible to apply. Similar travel grants are expected for future meetings with the next EAACI meeting in Vienna, Austria in June 2006 (www.eaaci.net) and the next WAO Congress in Bangkok, Thailand in December 2007 (www.worldallergy.org). Attending this meeting was worthwhile both scientifically and culturally, and we strongly encourage any interested FITs to apply for travel grants for upcoming meetings abroad. <back>
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