Keep up with the rapid pace of change in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine with in-depth educational courses prior to the CHEST Annual Meeting 2024 in Boston.

Three types of pre-meeting courses will be held Saturday, October 5, for clinicians across all stages of their careers. Postgraduate courses will review foundational knowledge and skills of attendees through a comprehensive review of specific topics by experienced faculty, Master Classes will provide deeper insight into complex topics through collaborative, in-depth learning facilitated by preeminent experts in the field, and full-day simulation courses will provide hands-on training with specific clinical procedures.

Signing up for these pre-meeting courses does not require registration for CHEST 2024, but the benefits from the Saturday experience carry over into the annual meeting and beyond, said CHEST Education Committee Chair, Hans Lee, MD, MEHP, FCCP.

“The empowerment is why people attend—learning new material that they can apply to their clinical practice and their patients,” Dr. Lee said. “At the same time, they’re able to do it with colleagues who are likeminded, who are there to have fun and reinvigorate their passion for medicine.”

That renewed sense of excitement and discovery is a key element for Master Classes in particular, which are aimed at clinicians who have spent years immersed in practice. Expert faculty members are carefully selected to cultivate a collaborative learning environment that feels fresh and engaging while also providing invaluable perspective on topics relevant to an experienced audience.

Similar thought and effort have gone into designing this year’s postgraduate courses. Dr. Lee is especially excited for a half-day review course on infectious diseases, which is a topic that has not been included in the pre-meeting program for several years.

Recent pulmonary and critical care knowledge assessment tests show a real need for further education in this area, he said. A full-day postgraduate course reviewing recent pulmonary literature and case studies should also be popular once again, Dr. Lee said, and with rotating faculty and new developments in the field, all the courses should prove enlightening, even for returning attendees.

“Medicine changes so quickly,” he said, “and there are always more complicated conversations and discussions to be had about these topics.”

You can find the full schedule of pre-meeting courses below. 

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UPDATE (September 30): Advance registration has now closed. Please inquire about pre-meeting course availability on site in Boston during open hours.

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Saturday, October 5

Full day (7:30 am – 5:20 pm ET)

Pulmonary Literature Review and Complex Case Presentations (Postgraduate Course)

This high-level literature review will cover key topic areas in pulmonary medicine, including bronchiectasis and nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease, asthma, COPD, lung cancer, interstitial lung disease, women’s lung health, pulmonary hypertension, and pneumonia. Hear complex case presentations featuring published evidence and expert opinions on the management of each case.

Full day (8 am – 4 pm ET)

Advanced Robotic and Navigational Bronchoscopy: A Hands-On Course (Simulation)

In the rapidly evolving field of bronchoscopy and lung nodule evaluation, this 1-day simulation course will equip practicing pulmonologists with essential skills for advanced diagnostic procedures. It covers various techniques such as robotic bronchoscopy, electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy, radial probe endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), and linear probe EBUS. The course emphasizes hands-on procedural training and a FLIPPED classroom approach, focusing on evaluating pulmonary nodules, lung cancer screening, diagnosis, and staging. This course aims to bridge the gap in technological advancements for bronchoscopic biopsies of peripheral lung lesions.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Respiratory Failure and Shock: A Hands-On Course (Simulation)

This hands-on ultrasonography course is designed to reinforce basic point-of-care ultrasound skills while promoting the integration of these ultrasound skills into the assessment of key critical care scenarios. Expert faculty will provide comprehensive training in protocol-driven image acquisition, using live models and a low learner to faculty ratio, and case-based image interpretation. Learners will study an algorithmic approach to the ultrasound evaluation of common clinical scenarios, including hemodynamic instability, shock states, acute respiratory failure, and dyspnea.

Morning (7:30 am – 12 pm ET)

Advanced Management Strategies in Severe Asthma and COPD (Master Class)

This interactive Master Class will focus on personalized treatment strategies for asthma, including biologic timing and selection, asthma remission, and case studies. The course will also cover phenotypes of COPD and advanced therapeutics such as azithromycin, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, biologics, and nonpharmacological therapies. The course will be divided into multiple rapid-fire audience Q&A sessions and case studies to maximize audience engagement and the learning experience.

Critical Care: At the Edge of the Evidence (Master Class)

This Master Class will explore how to incorporate recent critical care clinical trial results into patient management. Speakers will discuss disease states where robust evidence is lacking, as well as disease states where new evidence has come to light that raises questions about previous best practices. Attendees will be encouraged to participate in discussions of which diagnostics and therapeutics should be utilized in various patient cases, including pros and cons of each choice.

Pulmonary Embolism Management: Unraveling Controversies and Exploring Cutting-Edge Strategies (Postgraduate Course)

The management of pulmonary embolism (PE) has undergone a drastic change in the last 15 years owing to the advent of new percutaneous interventions, pulmonary embolism response team (PERT)-related clinical trials, and implementation of PERTs worldwide. Variations remain in treatment and interventions for intermediate and high-risk PE, and these complex patients require an individualized, multidisciplinary approach. Through hands-on, case-based presentations, this course will uncover and highlight the intricacies of PE risk stratification and management.

Sleep Medicine: Cutting-Edge Insights and Innovations (Postgraduate Course)

This comprehensive course will delve into the latest advancements and breakthroughs in sleep medicine. The course is structured around key themes, offering an in-depth exploration of various sleep disorders and state-of-the-art approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

Afternoon (1 pm – 5:30 pm ET)

Pulmonary Hypertension: Expert Didactics and Discussion (Master Class)

As pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a pathophysiological manifestation of many disease states, a detailed assessment is required to decide appropriate therapy. There have also been several iterations to the original definition of PH, which has led to confusion as to the correct hemodynamic threshold to initiate treatment. This Master Class will clarify issues in PH, such as proper evaluation for appropriate diagnosis, risk stratification for appropriate treatment selection, and how newer disease-modifying agents fit into current treatment algorithms.

Interstitial Lung Diseases: Case Studies and Multidisciplinary Discussions (Master Class)

This Master Class will focus on confounding issues encountered in clinical practice for interstitial lung abnormalities, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, progressive pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and autoimmune interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). Expert faculty will also discuss management of comorbidities such as pulmonary hypertension in ILD, as well as current precision medicine technologies such as genomic classifiers, genetic markers, and telomeres.

Afternoon (1 pm – 5:35 pm ET)

Contemporary Questions in Pulmonary and Critical Care Infections (Postgraduate Course)

This course will take a deep dive into how to handle challenging pulmonary and critical care infections, including those caused by bacterial, viral, and fungal pathogens. Topics will consist of highly contemporary and clinically relevant questions that are not easily resolved with a mere glance at the literature. The program will be divided into three thematic sections, each consisting of three talks: emerging infections/pathogens, novel diagnostics, and novel therapeutics.