The countdown to AUA2024

AUA2024 is right around the corner! The meeting kicks off May 3 in San Antonio with back-to-back plenary sessions that are packed with exciting content. If you haven’t already scoped out all it has to offer, AUA Secretary David F. Penson, MD, MPH, recommends starting with the any of the Ps: plenaries, poster sessions, podium sessions or panels. Each offers its own lineup of cutting-edge and practice-changing science.David Penson, AUA secretary

“On Friday, attendees won’t want to miss ‘P2s: Paradigm-Shifting, Practice-Changing Clinical Trials in Urology,’” said Dr. Penson. “These are high-profile studies that haven’t been presented before and will have an immediate effect on attendees’ clinical practices, including randomized clinical trials of novel agents and new surgical approaches that will really change the way we practice urology.”

In addition to his AUA role, Dr. Penson is the Hamilton and Howd Chair in urologic oncology, and professor and chair of the department of urology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. He said he also is looking forward to a Friday panel discussion on the use of artificial intelligence.

“This is such a relevant and important topic that will really help attendees understand how [artificial intelligence] will affect the practice of urology in the future,” he said.

Dr. Penson has been a regular attendee at the AUA Annual Meeting since 1995—except for the year he caught COVID-19 the day before the meeting. As AUA secretary, he is responsible for overseeing the scientific content of the meeting, in particular the plenary, podium and poster sessions.

“The primary reasons I go to the meeting every year are to learn the absolutely latest information in our field that I can use in clinical care and to network with colleagues,” he said. “It really is the one meeting I get the most from every year.”

Another plenary session Dr. Penson highly recommends is “When Disaster Strikes: Preventing and Managing Nightmare Cases in Urology.”

“Hopefully, attendees won’t ever experience these disasters themselves, but if they do, this presentation will give them a road map back to safety that they can use in their own practice,” he said.

On Sunday, the plenary includes interesting sessions on the topics of sexual medicine, voiding dysfunction and pediatric urology, as well as semilive surgeries and a session on advice for performing a penile prosthesis surgery.

“Finally, Monday’s plenary sessions focus on reconstructive urology and include several state-of-the-art lectures covering such topics as transgender care for the general urologist, male contraception and ergonomics in the operating room,” Dr. Penson said. “This year’s plenary really has something for everyone.”

In addition to the plenary, Dr. Penson suggests five opportunities AUA members should not miss at this year’s meeting:

1. The new Learning Lab allows attendees to study ongoing clinical trials that could impact their practice in the future. The Learning Lab will also hold innovative sessions, such as new surgical technique videos.
2. The poster and podium sessions cover a wide range of interests, including presentations on cutting-edge research, which offer urologists an advance look at exciting findings without waiting for publication.
3. The bevy of educational courses can sometimes be overwhelming to attendees, so Dr. Penson said to keep in mind that many of the meetings and course materials will be available online after the meeting. This allows attendees to capture even more information they may have missed at the meeting.
4. The city of San Antonio is multicultural with a rich history. Enjoy sight-seeing and visiting local destinations after hours.
5. Last, but not least, the Annual Meeting is the perfect spot to meet with friends and colleagues in person.

“There is really no better opportunity to interact with experts in the field, people you may have known for years or individuals you have wanted to meet for some time,” Dr. Penson said. “The social events at AUA2024 present great opportunities for networking.”