Conferences

[Shatani]

so, just reading JRo's thread about getting funding to go to the APA convention (congrats again!) and specifically Dr. E's comment about not being able to attend her favorite conference (so sorry!), made me wonder what conferences are you all attending??

what are your favorite, cant-miss conferences? which ones have been the most fruitful for you, with regards to networking? have you been to a really great one recently? tell us about it! (please 🙂) what conferences are you looking forward to?


i'm gonna start saving now for APA next year in hawaii!

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[Therapist4Chnge]

APA is worth checking out once as a grad student, but I think most people farther along find it too unwieldy and too general for any real benefit. I haven't been to APA since it was in New Orleans (2006), and that was mostly because I had a reason to go.

The only conferences I make a point to attend are INS and the Div 22 conference; NAN is hit and miss depending on the location. All of the other conferences are basically limited to if I have something to present.

 

[futureapppsy2]

I really love the Div 22 (rehab psych) conference--best conference I have attended thus far, hands down. AUCD (Association of University Centers on Disability) is great if you have an interest in disability-related topics, though it is mostly focused on intellectual disability and autism (vs. Div 22, which is mostly focused on physical disability and TBI).

I've never been, but I've heard really good things about the Kansas Conference for clinical child and adolescent topics. Same thing with Society for Research on Child Development (SRCD) conference. Both are fairly competitive for acceptance of presentations.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

INS and NAN are the only two I've attended with any semblance of regularity thus far (more so the latter than the former), and I've enjoyed my time at both. Might have to check out Div 22 with all the positive publicity it's receiving in this thread, though.

 

[Member6523]

It should be noted that NAN and INS are neuropsychology conferences, and so if you aren't specializing in that field, may not be the most appropriate. INS seems a bit more research oriented and NAN more practice oriented, though both are excellent in my opinion. On a related matter, anyone ever go to AACN? Any impressions?

WPA is great for undergrads starting out (if they are in the west coast). Grad students have less incentive to go, especially once they realize it's a Zimbardo lovefest, but the statistics workshops are surprisingly high quality. I agree that APA is too unwieldy for most people.

 

[Ollie123]

I regularly attend SRNT (Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco) and SPR (Society for Psychophysiological Research). Both are obviously highly specialized, but good conferences. I also recently attended RSA (Research Society on Alcoholism) which was also fantastic...though being in San Francisco likely contributed to that experience. All are moderate in size < 2000.

I've been to APA as well. Frankly, it doesn't even belong in the same league as specialty conferences. Its worth going to once just for the experience, but I doubt I'll return unless I have a specific reason to go (i.e. if asked to give a presentation there). The quality of the posters is generally piss poor since it attracts a lot of non-science-y types, the talks are usually big name folks but they often dumb down their talks for a more general audience...anyone who I actually wanted to see didn't really tell me anything I couldn't have gleaned from an abstract. The APAGS programming the year I went seemed like it was geared more towards young children hoping to become scientists than grad students.... very useless and moderately insulting.

SPR is definitely my favorite. VERY laid back, but the methodological quality of the work is fantastic. These are the sorts of folks who obsess over whether its better to have their high-pass filters set at 0 or .01 hz. Plus, not many organizations can boast that they hold a dance hosted by their own blues band comprised of extremely well-known faculty members from around the country.

Still on the list to hit up are APS (Association for Psychological Science), ABCT (Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies) and SFN (Society for Neuroscience). SFN also sounds like an experience, as I've heard it makes APA look insignificant in size. There are a couple very specific ones I may attend at some point too (i.e. Wisconsin Emotion, Nebraska Symposium on Motivation).

 

[AcronymAllergy]

ABCT is by far the most popular conference for other students (and faculty) from my program, and they all seem to enjoy it when they go.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

INS and NAN are the only two I've attended with any semblance of regularity thus far (more so the latter than the former), and I've enjoyed my time at both. Might have to check out Div 22 with all the positive publicity it's receiving in this thread, though.

The programming at Div 22 is usually solid, and they offer enough spacing between things that you can attend most of the sessions and not feel burned out. There is typically an early morning yoga session on conference days, and sometimes/often a group does a walk after lunch to get the blood going again. 😀 They usually arrange it so breakfast is covered every morning (it encourages people to get up and attend the first sessions), and the food tends to be pretty good. On 1-2 of the mornings they offer 'table topics' so you can eat and learn more about a particular area like "women in rehab", "early career", and "disability & rehab". As an early career person, this was a nice opportunity. As a foodie I like that they offer a night out at a bunch of solid restaurants (groups of 10-15), so you can meet/mingle with new people and enjoy good food. There is also a late night crew that hangs out if you are a night owl like me and can't go to bed before 12am-1am, etc.

The Div 22 conference is like a family reunion for many rehab folks, and we are very welcoming of new members (and particularly students!), so give it a look. I started going a number of years ago, and some of the senior leadership went out of their way to make sure that new people (myself included) felt welcomed. It is much less clique-ish than some of the other conferences I attend, which I think makes the whole experience that much more enjoyable. The student programming is usually good, as they cover relevant topics like how to navigate the (internship? and) post-doc application process.

Lastly, if you aren't a member of Div 22...you can sign up to attend the conference and get a discount on the registration fee. As a student, intern, fellow....you get a significant discount for both. I think registration has been $50-$75 for me, and renewing the membership was a nominal fee.

 

[Pragma]

I try to hit INS or AACN every year. Otherwise I usually have stuck to regional conferences, as in the past I usually had to pay for any conferences on my own.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I try to hit INS or AACN every year. Otherwise I usually have stuck to regional conferences, as in the past I usually had to pay for any conferences on my own.

I'd be curious to hear what people think of the AACN conference, most recently in Seattle, WA. I know they just held a (successful) kareokee fundraiser that sounded like a great time, though I haven't heard much about the programming options and overall feel of the conference.

 

[Pragma]

I'd be curious to hear what people think of the AACN conference, most recently in Seattle, WA. I know they just held a (successful) kareokee fundraiser that sounded like a great time, though I haven't heard much about the programming options and overall feel of the conference.

IMO, it is a little more geared towards fellows and practicing neuropsychologists. They have a lot of great workshops and CE opportunities. From what I have heard, their preparation for boarding materials are also top knotch.

 

[JeyRo]

Honestly, I don't go to conferences on any regular basis. Last APA I attended was in Toronto (I presented a poster there, very minimal participation compared to now, but miraculously, I got funded then as well). I'm pretty involved in a specialty professional group, but it's membership is very small (about 150 members) and they don't have conferences, they usually just piggy-back their business meetings on larger conferences, like APA, GSA, etc.

I'm a little puzzled about the comments about the APA being too "general" or "unwieldy". While I'm not hugely involved in APA, I'm more involved in division issues (12/II in my case) - which also are a big part of the APA, correct? Also, in my view, it's where the action is at.

In my case, I'll be going to a 12/II mixer and meeting, a meeting of my specialty group (business meeting), presenting my two symposia, and also my poster session. So, pretty busy, and as I had designed it, a no-brainer for the VA to fund me. 🙂

 

[Doctor Eliza]

I went to APA last time it was in Hawaii. They gave us tote bags to use for books and materials. When I skipped out on sessions to go to the beach, everyone there had the APA tote! I think we all had the same idea: APA is a great excuse to get to Hawaii.

I agree with previous comments about APA. There is a lot going on and it was hard to finmd things that spoke it my interests. Remember, perhaps the majority of APA is experimental psych, not clinical or counseling. It was an experience, probably worth going once, but I don't feel a need to return.

Conferences tend to be more stiumlating if you can find one targeted toward your own interests. My personal fav to Association for Women in Psychology (AWP) because I have a lot of interest in feminist psychology. I also love the other attendees there. I always feel recharged after going. But certainly many people would not find that conference to be a good fit.

Best,
Dr. E

 

[JeyRo]

I went to APA last time it was in Hawaii. They gave us tote bags to use for books and materials. When I skipped out on sessions to go to the beach, everyone there had the APA tote! I think we all had the same idea: APA is a great excuse to get to Hawaii.

I *do* need to see the new Star Tours. 🙂

 

[mewtoo]

Has anyone been to SPSP (I realize its not clinical psych, but you never know)? I'm hoping to present research there at the next convention and was wondering what its like as I've only been to SWPA (regional).

 

[PsychPhDone]

My regular conference is ABCT, but I also get APS (Assn for Psychological Science) when I can, too.

 

[IT514]

It should be noted that NAN and INS are neuropsychology conferences, and so if you aren't specializing in that field, may not be the most appropriate. INS seems a bit more research oriented and NAN more practice oriented, though both are excellent in my opinion. On a related matter, anyone ever go to AACN? Any impressions?.

I've been to AACN the two years prior to this (didnt attend Seattle). Its a great conference for students. They have a "Training Directors Hour" where you can meet TDs from different internship and post-doc sites. Great for networking.

Not going to NAN this year although I have a poster that just got accepted. Sucks because I would love to go to Nashville.

 

[EmotRegulation]

Has anyone been to SPSP (I realize its not clinical psych, but you never know)? I'm hoping to present research there at the next convention and was wondering what its like as I've only been to SWPA (regional).

I've been to SPSP several times, it's a great conference if you like social and personality research (which I do). The pre-conferences are a nice way to get specialized information and to meet people in niche areas. It can be a little hard to follow the talks sometimes; as a clinical person, I find social psychology quite jargon-y, and they are often trying to present 4 studies in one talk. Sometimes I've felt like my head just went through a spin cycle. Good stuff, though!

 

[mewtoo]

I've been to SPSP several times, it's a great conference if you like social and personality research (which I do). The pre-conferences are a nice way to get specialized information and to meet people in niche areas. It can be a little hard to follow the talks sometimes; as a clinical person, I find social psychology quite jargon-y, and they are often trying to present 4 studies in one talk. Sometimes I've felt like my head just went through a spin cycle. Good stuff, though!

Thanks for the info! I know a lot of my department has presented research there and have said its always fun and informative. I have to agree social psych is very jargon-y. I felt like I had to learn a whole new set of vocabulary for my religion study. 😛 I hope I get accepted, especially since its in New Orleans (which is also in driving distance to me ;D) next! If not I might just go for fun.