The 41st Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgeons

Abstract

The 41st Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgeons (CAPS) was held in beautiful Halifax, Nova Scotia, from October 1 to 3, 2009. Attendance for this event was superb, no doubt because of the location of the meeting and the quality of the program developed by the Program Committee, and its chair, Natalie Yanchar. This was Dr Yanchar's last year in this role, and it was only fitting that she went out with a “bang” on home soil. Local hosts Mike Giacomantonio, Guy Brisseau, Natalie Yanchar, and Judy Charman made everyone feel welcome with their warm and gracious Maritime hospitality. Based on the recommendations of the February Winter CAPS Retreat, several changes were made in the organization of the meeting. First, all committee meetings were held on Thursday morning before the start of the scientific program. Second, a special educational symposium titled “Pediatric General Surgery Training: From Junior Resident to Faculty” was organized for Thursday afternoon. This was a very well-attended symposium, cochaired by Drs Ted Gerstle and Pramod Puligandla, that provided information on how to improve a candidate's chances of matching successfully in the pediatric surgery match. The perspectives from current fellows and new faculty were also presented. The symposium was followed by the Welcome Reception, which was held at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.