This spring, the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy Office of Continuing Professional Development and Outreach co-sponsored the Southeastern Residency Conference, a tradition since 1970.
The 51st Southeastern Residency Conference, or SERC, normally would have been a two-day live event held in Athens. For the first time in its history, the conference was held virtually from April 23-May 9, and renamed Virtual SERC 2020. The change in conference format was made to protect the health and well-being of all participants in the midst of the pandemic.
The purpose of the conference is to provide PGY1 and PGY2 pharmacy residents an opportunity to present their own research in a supportive and welcoming environment. Participants shared their projects and research findings through recorded presentations with residents and preceptors from eight states in Southeast. Each attendee contributed to the conference proceedings, leaving with new exposure to cutting-edge ideas and practices in the field of pharmacy practice.
Virtual SERC 2020 had 427 attendees with an average of 17.89 sessions added to each attendee’s personal conference schedule. The average session rating was 9.8 out of 10 with 2,532 instances of feedback collected from attendees. In addition, 2,381 structured, criterion-based evaluations were submitted by preceptors and peer residents.
Whether virtual or live, next year’s Southeastern Residency Conference will welcome many of this year’s attendees back as pharmacists and preceptors to introduce a new group of graduate students and residents to the constantly evolving practice of pharmacy.
Director of Continuing Professional Development and Outreach Dr. Trina von Waldner sums up this year’s success: “The challenges of moving a conference this size to the virtual format in a matter of two months were significant. Our team worked with the SERC Committee to provide a unique experience for both resident presenters and preceptors. Our statistics speak for themselves, and we look forward to researching the data and presenting our findings. Special thanks to Caitlin Back, program coordinator, and Elise Martin, program consultant.”
