IPA on the move

Abstract

Medical associations globally have had to come to grips with new realities in the 21st century. Knowledge transmission has undergone a revolution. Universities, learned colleges, and professional organizations are no longer the custodians of information. New journals spring up weekly and the challenges for most professionals is deciding what not to read. Professional meetings used to be how we meet like-minded associates; now face-to-face conferences are just one of many options to interact with colleagues. Tighter rules regarding relations between industry and healthcare practitioners have resulted in decreased sponsorships, less profitable conferences, and reduced funding generally.