The planning committee will select only a limited number of "papers" for presentation because the concept of this colloquium is that of spirited and highly interactive participation. However, everything that is submitted will be shared with the colloquium participants. Presentations will not dominate the meeting. The papers submitted should focus on one of the following areas.

a) Ingenious ways that I have learned to circumvent and overcome real and perceived obstacles in the quest for meaningful change within my institution.

b) Many "traditional" academic medical centers are being threatened with imminent demise, - some are well-known and seemingly solvent organizations with long histories. My own institution has adopted radical changes that are helping steer us in new directions. This paper outlines those changes.

c) How will I be able to recognize that my personal career objectives are no longer achievable within my institution? ("When is it no longer fun to come to work"? "How do I know that I am still right and "they" are still wrong?")

d) How I have been able to stimulate other faculty within my institution in such a way that I now have colleagues who also fearlessly approach innovative change within my institution with enthusiasm.

e) Financial sources to support graduate and undergraduate medical education are dwindling. If academic medical centers are to survive under these increasing constraints, radically new approaches to support our educational mission need to evolve. This paper postulates or demonstrates such an approach.

f) Is the Media Missing the Message? I am swamped by technology. Where is this all leading?

g) Can I evaluate an unconventional curriculum using conventional evaluation criteria?

h) Any other experience. (successful or otherwise) or complex problem that you believe that the group would appreciate that relates to personal or institutional evolution.

Please limit your abstract for the paper to 300 words in length. All abstracts will be shared with the participants even if not selected for presentation

"Paper presentations" will be 15 minutes long, with an additional 5 minutes for questions and answers. If you choose, your paper presentation will be fast tracked for peer review and possible publication in the Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions (JCEHP).

"A project description" refers to work that has been stimulated by your Harvard experience, a continuation of work initiated through the original Harvard Macy project or seemingly insoluble critical problems/issues that you are now facing in your academic life. Project descriptions should be brief - perhaps three paragraphs. If these accompany your registration, they will be shared with all of the participants prior to the meeting. This will do much to stimulate conversations as soon as participants meet. Projects will be reviewed and organized within groups in such a way to as to maximize the interaction with other colleagues with similar interests or problems. There should be opportunities to go through this collegial consultative process twice during the colloquium.

Requirements for Abstract Format and Submission

Abstracts must be received on or before October 31, 1999. You may submit the abstract in any popular word processing format - yes even MAC. A separate abstract submission form must be completed and enclosed with each abstract that you submit. To help the committee in their blind review of submissions, please do not list the author(s) on the abstract itself. We would also appreciate two copies of the primary author's curriculum vitae (abbreviated CVs and resumes are preferred).

We will notify the primary author on or before November 30, 1999.

If you have questions, please call (804) 828-1537 or visit the Harvard Macy/VCU website at http://www.vcu.edu/hmc2000

Abstract Submission

You may submit your abstracts in one of two ways.

1) By regular mail using a printable Abstract Submission Form by Clicking Here

or

2) Use our Online Abstract Submission Form by Clicking Here!

If you encounter any difficulty using either of these two forms please contact Angel Medina at amedina@hsc.vcu.edu or by calling (804) 828-3874, and he will be more than happy to guide you through the process.