Accelerate professional and personal development by engaging with the CHEST Networks at CHEST 2023.

The Networks, special membership groups centered around distinct curriculum areas, will offer multiple chances to expand involvement within the chest medicine community during CHEST 2023 in Hawaiʻi, said Cassie Kennedy, MD, FCCP, Chair of the Council of Networks. Each of the seven groups will host dedicated business meetings that set the stage for multidisciplinary initiatives and meet-and-greet events to facilitate additional connections across disciplines.

“It is a tremendous opportunity for collaboration,” Dr. Kennedy said.

The Network Open Forums, held concurrently on Tuesday, October 10, from 10:30 am to 11:30 am HST, will offer a close look at the operations of each of the seven Networks—Airways Disorders, Chest Infections and Disaster Response, Critical Care, Diffuse Lung Disease and Lung Transplant, Pulmonary Vascular and Cardiovascular, Sleep Medicine, and Thoracic Oncology and Chest Procedures—and their 22 Sections (subgroups that focus on specialties within each Network).

The open forums at CHEST 2023 are one of the first and best chances to contribute to the CHEST 2024 program in Boston, Dr. Kennedy said. Attendees can share ideas for topics, participate in the vetting process, and begin to develop key parts of next year’s sessions.

Network leaders will recap recent efforts and highlight upcoming opportunities, extending beyond the annual meeting, on local, national, and international levels. Throughout the year, members liaise with patient organizations, prepare articles and CME questions for CHEST publications, assist CHEST in the formation of guidelines and other policy, further CHEST’s advocacy and philanthropic missions, and help develop future leaders through mentorship and training initiatives.

Attendees can also learn about the Networks in a more informal setting at the Networks Mixer on Monday, October 9, from 4 pm to 5 pm HST, at the Children’s Courtyard on the third floor of the convention center. A new Network reception specifically for fellows will be held Tuesday, October 10, immediately following the open forums, from 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm HST, in the CHEST Trainee Lounge. Both events will allow current and prospective members to mingle with Network leaders and hopefully come away with a better sense of available opportunities on the Network and Section Steering Committees.

“We could use the established CHEST members’ knowledge and wisdom in these roles, especially since the Networks’ leaders mentor junior members and our Sections’ fellows-in-training to help them flourish in CHEST,” Dr. Kennedy said.

Attendees can also get exposure to the various Sections at the Experience CHEST booth in the Exhibit Hall beginning on Monday. Junior faculty members from each Section will briefly discuss content specific to their Sections, with a dedicated focus on health equity and diversity perspectives.

Dr. Kennedy encourages attendees to check out and join all the Networks that match their interests and expertise, both during events at CHEST 2023 as well as through the CHEST website. After all, membership isn’t limited to just one Network, and each one has two to four specialized Sections, with numerous opportunities for leadership, advocacy, and education.

“We have had a tremendously fruitful year, and the programming for CHEST 2023 is particularly strong. The Networks are moving full steam ahead, and I can’t wait to see what 2024 brings,” Dr. Kennedy said.

Throughout the meeting, attendees can find other can’t-miss programming by filtering the CHEST 2023 online schedule and CHEST Events app by Network.