I just had an MS1 from my home program ask me the same thing; I'll relay what I told her. Most of it is applicable to you, too:
You haven't had any time in the specialty, yet, so you don't have a solid grasp a lot of the basic fundamentals (absolutely not your fault; you're still in your first year). Most of the lectures are geared towards residents and attendings so most of the talks are going to go over your head. The sessions geared to medical students are usually tamer, but those tend to be career-oriented / match-oriented talks which are only marginally helpful for you at this stage. There is a session to meet residency directors and learn about programs, but you're still 3 years from applying. PDs aren't going to remember you, and a lot of program details can change in 3 years.
That being said, there is benefit to going. First, you'll get substantial exposure to the culture and personality of the specialty and get an idea if these are the kinds of people you want to be in 10 years. You can also hang out with the upperclassman and pick our brains about the application process and our experiences. If you're feeling burned out at this point it can be refreshing to see what your end goal will be and hopefully give you an energy boost to finish the first semester. I've also heard that Chicago is a fun city to visit, so there's that as well. You can also list your attendance on your resume which shows early interest in the specialty, but honestly, I doubt that carries too much weight in the grand scheme of things.
OP, if you can convince your school to pay for the trip and you're not going to suffer academically, I would say go for it. I also agree with the advice from @
AdmiralChz. If you're still interested in anesthesia next year, reach out to the research chair at your home program. It's pretty easy to knock out case reports or smaller reviews. If you can get on a project and present at next year's conference, that'll add substance to your resume for sure. For what it's worth, I'm an MS4 applying anesthesia so I'll add the obligatory YMMV along with my advice.
