• July
UK National Stem Cell Network (UKNSCN)
Annual Science Meeting
July 12-14
University of Nottingham, East Midlands Conference Center
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom

Cryo 2010
Society for Cryobiology
47th Annual Meeting
July 17-20
Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel
Bristol, England, United Kingdom

• August
2011 Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference
Aug. 11-15
The Grand Hyatt
Kauai, Hawaii

Canadian Society of Transplantation (CST)
Annual Scientific Conference
Aug. 13-14
Vancouver Congress Centre
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

• September
1st World Congress on Controversies in Hematology
Sept. 2-5
Rome, Italy

ISCT Europe Regional Meeting
International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT)
Sept. 11-14
Best Western Hotel Villa Carlotta
Belgirate, Italy

International Society for Experimental Hematology (ISEH)
39th Annual Scientific Meeting
Sept. 15-18
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center
Melbourne, Australia

12th International Conference on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia - Biological Basis of Therapy
ESH (European School of Haematology) and iCMLf (International Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Foundation)
Sept. 25-26
Grand Hyatt Washington
Washington, DC

American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI)
36th Annual Meeting
Sept. 26-30
Westin Diplomat
Hollywood, Florida

• October
Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology
6th International Symposium on Neuroprotection and Neurorepair
October 1-4
Yachthafenresidenz Hohe Düne
Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany

European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
35th Annual Meeting
Oct. 8-12
Milano Convention Centre
Milan, Italy

American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
2010 Annual Meeting
Oct. 9-12
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, Maryland

International Society of Hematology (ISH)
33rd World Congress
Oct. 10-13
ICC Jerusalem International Convention Center
Jerusalem, Israel

National Marrow Donor Program
2010 Council Meeting
Oct. 14-16
Minneapolis Hilton
Minneapolis, Minnesota

European School of Haematology
8th International Conference
Oct. 14-18
Cascais, Portugal

ISCT Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting
International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT)
Oct. 17-20
Phoenix Seagaia Resort
Miyazaki, Japan

Histiocytosis Association of America (HAA)
Oct. 18-20
Boston, Massachusetts

European Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ESGCT)
18th Annual Congress
Oct. 22-25
Stella Polare Convention Centre
Milano, Italy

• November
World Cord Blood Congress
Nov. 4-7
Marseille, France

Neoplastic Hematopathology Update
Nov. 11-13
The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa
Hollywood, Florida

• December
American Society of Hematology (ASH)
52nd Annual Meeting
Dec. 4-7
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, Florida

• 2011
BMT Tandem Meetings
Combined ASBMT and CIBMTR annual meetings
Feb. 17-21
Hawaii Convention Center
Honolulu, Hawaii

• 2012
BMT Tandem Meetings
Combined ASBMT and CIBMTR annual meetings
Feb. 1-5
Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel
San Diego, California

• 2013
BMT Tandem Meetings
Combined ASBMT and CIBMTR annual meetings
Feb. 13-17
Salt Palace
Salt Lake City, Utah

• 2014
BMT Tandem Meetings
Combined ASBMT and CIBMTR annual meetings
Feb. 19-23
Gaylord Palms
Orlando, Florida

A Word from President John Barrett, MD

The transplanter’s workload
Thomas Addison was a workaholic. It is said he would turn his homebound carriage back to Guys Hospital to re-examine patients when a new diagnosis or therapeutic maneuver struck him in his bumpy ride over the cobbles. Stem cell transplanters may not return to work in quite the same way, but only because they have not yet left or because of the electronic ball and chain of our blackberries and pagers that permanently shackles us to our work, with no respect for weekends and vacations. As we pace the lonely hospital corridors at unsociably late (or early) hours to ponder complicated and life-depending decisions, how many of us have sometimes wondered why we never became dermatologists? In contrast to the perceived tranquil life of a specialty that aims not to delve too deep beneath the skin, stem cell transplantation seems an exacting specialty. In fact, it is at risk of becoming nobody’s specialty choice.

The fact is that fewer transplanters are entering the profession than those retiring. This extra load on a smaller workforce coupled with the expected increase in the number of transplants performed in the US and the likelihood that at best the acuity of our patients will remain the same represents an extra deterrent to would-be transplanters from the hematology-oncology community. ASBMT, concerned about these developments, sent a questionnaire last year to its members to identify what factors contribute to job satisfaction and which are deterrents. In a brilliant presentation at this year’s meeting in Orlando, Dr. Jeff Schriber described the lifestyle of the US stem cell transplant physician and laid out the issues that we need to confront if we are to attract more young physicians into stem cell transplantation and improve the lifestyle of those of us already established in the field.

The problem is that stem cell transplantation embodies many of the features of an "extreme job" — fast pace, tight deadlines, inordinate responsibility, and irregular, long hours, demanding a large amount physical presence, with an additional and increasing burden of administrative responsibilities to weave into the long hours at work. Beyond the need for appropriate financial compensation (after all our programs typically make money and we do have to pay off those medical school loans) is the desire for personal time free of practice requirements. The ability to control practice hours, making time for career development, mentorship and research is desired. According to the survey, BMT physicians attend on average three months a year and are on-call one in four days and weekends. They spend about 50 percent of their time in clinical work and 10 percent on administration, leaving about 40 percent of time for everything else. Perhaps the most telling comment was “I’m not sure how much vacation I have, I just know I never have time to take it.”

Remedies
ASBMT is acutely aware of the impending vicious circle of manpower losses, increasing workload and falling job satisfaction. To get the facts and working with the National Marrow Donor Program’s Physician Workforce Committee, a new, more detailed survey of ASBMT members is planned. We must apologize for adding another administrative burden, but please respond and make your voice heard. Manpower shortages could be supplemented by recruiting more physician assistants and nurse practitioners to our ranks.

As many of us know, these individuals are dedicated professionals with much to give to the transplant effort, who complement our skills and improve patient care. We have therefore created a place for a representative from the Advanced Practice Professionals Special Interest Group (SIG) at our twice yearly executive meetings. Through this SIG and the other ASBMT SIGs, we are seeking ways to work with their professional societies to encourage recruitment. Another important approach is to remind the program directors and administrators to be responsive to the needs of the transplant workforce (which brings in significant hospital revenue). Hard-pressed transplanters are not avaricious; they would welcome seeing some of that revenue going to increase recruitment of manpower from all sources, including the use of hospitalists and intensivists when appropriate. Program directors should understand that not every transplant physician wants to do bench research. There must be rewards to recognition for good mentoring, and provision for teaching as well as for excellent patient care. Attention to these goals could re-stimulate enthusiasm in a field that admittedly places big demands on its players. For despite the difficulties, we remain in an exciting, cutting-edge specialty where we can a make a difference in peoples’ lives and where the imperfection of the art and science are stimulating intellectual challenges. It behooves us to make the discipline friendly to professionals of all persuasions. There is work enough for everybody! My thanks goes to Jeff Schriber, another workaholic, for his thoughtful input into the topic.

-- John