Despite a Bostonian blizzard, more than 6,200 physical therapy professionals from around the nation convened in Beantown for the 2007 Combined Sections Meeting (CSM).

The 2007 CSM is a unique conference, as it focuses on programming designed by all 18 American Physical Therapy Association specialty sections. This event provided five days – Feb. 14-18, 2007 – of programming, networking opportunities and an exhibit hall filled with products and services to keep PT professionals, clinicians and students on the cutting-edge of the field.

The vast majority of the courses were held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The courses ranged from techniques and approaches to management issues and new evidence-based research results. Click here to see a complete list of courses offered at the 2007 CSM.

According to Angel Ramos, registrar and associate director of the service center with the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), this year garnered the largest number of registrants in the history of CSM conferences. More than 2,000 of those attendees were students.

“We had more students this year, and much of that is contributed to the location of the conference this year,” says Ramos. “Being in Boston, we’re easily accessible for students in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.”

Ramos says the APTA had better than expected attendance, even though a “nor’easterner” storm unloaded more than five inches of snow on the Boston area – and many areas from which attendees were departing – just days before the conference began.

“Even with the storm, people still came,” says Ramos. “Everyone appears to be very excited.”

He says the attendees were especially happy with the content. Click here to access abstracts from the conference sessions, and click here to access video/audio recordings of the sessions.

Ramos encourages all physical therapy professionals, clinicians, students and any other healthcare professional interested in learning more about the physical therapy profession to come to CSM 2008, which will be held in Nashville Feb. 6-8.

“It’s an uphill climb,” says Ramos. “Each year, the number of attendees that show up for CSM gets higher and higher.”

To learn more about the CSM, visit www.APTA.org/CSM.

Amy Storer is the senior managing editor for Therapy Times. Questions or comments can be directed to editorial@TherapyTimes.com.

Click on the play button below to view the “Faces of CSM” collage of therapists who visited the Therapy Times booth in the CSM exhibit hall.

 

Each person pictured in the "Faces of CSM” collage Webcast was entered to win a chance for $100, and lucky photo number 116 was randomly selected to win this prize. If this is you, send an e-mail to editorial@therapytimes.com to claim your winnings!

Roving reporter pictures from the event...