2026

Meeting Theme
Through Change and Challenge: Our Mission Endures

About Program Schedule Registration APPD LEGACY Housing Call for Chief Resident Abstracts Medical Education Abstracts Enhanced Learning Sessions Speaker Information Sponsorship Planning Committee Explore Denver

About

In 2026, the APPD Annual Spring Meeting will be held April 14-17 in Denver, Colorado. The APPD spring meeting provides pediatric program educators and leaders with the opportunity to network and learn what’s new in medical education curriculum.

Attendees will:

Apply effective strategies in medical education across the full training continuum.
Discover and adapt innovative curricula and educational approaches designed for residency and fellowship programs.
Connect and collaborate through rich networking and mentoring opportunities with a vibrant community of educators.
Engage with key thought leaders and stakeholders, including representatives from the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

The conference will feature:

Plenary Sessions
Oral Platform Presentations
Enhanced Learning Sessions
Poster Abstract Presentations
Networking and Mentoring Opportunities

Target Audience:
All pediatric program educators and leaders! Including, but not limited to, residency and fellowship program directors, associate program directors, vice chairs, department chairs, designated institute officials, deans, coordinators/administrators/managers, chief residents, residents, fellows, and clinical educators.

CME and MOC will be offered.

Program Schedule

Registration

Register Online Now

Early-Bird Fees (By February 26, 2026):

APPD Member (Physician/Coordinator/Other): $900

Non-Member (Physician/Coordinator/Other): $1,150

Current Chief Resident: $575

Resident, Fellow, Student: $500

LEGACY Program + Spring Meeting (Rising Chief Residents): $900

LEGACY Program Only (Rising Chief Residents): $675

Regular Fees (After February 26, 2026):

APPD Member (Physician/Coordinator/Other): $1,000

Non-Member (Physician/Coordinator/Other): $1,250

Current Chief Resident: $675

Resident, Fellow, Student: $600

Legacy Program + Spring Meeting (Rising Chief Residents): $1,000

Legacy Program Only (Rising Chief Residents): $775

POLICIES
Speaker Registration: All speakers must register and pay for the APPD 2026 Annual Spring Meeting

Conference Badge: Attendees must wear their conference badge to attend all sessions and functions at the APPD 2026 Annual Spring Meeting

Code of Conduct: APPD is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all meeting participants, including, but not limited to, attendees, speakers, volunteers, sponsors, APPD staff members, and service providers. APPD has zero-tolerance for any form of bullying, discrimination, or harassment, and reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including immediate removal from the meeting without warning or refund, in response to any incident of unacceptable behavior. APPD reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future meeting, virtually or in person. Disruption of presentations at any event organized by APPD is strictly prohibited. Participants should not copy or take screen shots of Q&A. Presentations, postings, and messages should not contain promotional materials, special offers, job offers, product announcements, or solicitation for services. APPD reserves the right to remove any presentation, posting, or message that it deems to be inappropriate for a scientific meeting. Read the full code of conduct here.

Photography: By registering for the APPD 2026 Annual Spring Meeting, attendees consent to be photographed during the meeting, with the understanding that these images may be used in APPD documents, social media, and publications only. If anyone prefers to not have their photo used by APPD, please contact info@appd.org.

Cancellation: APPD reserves the right to cancel any sessions due to lack of enrollment or other factors. In the event of a cancellation, registered participants will be notified by e-mail and will have the option to choose an available alternative. All registration cancellations by participants must be received in writing to APPD. A $50 administration fee will be assessed for all cancellation requests received by March 13, 2026. Cancellations received after March 13, 2026 will not be eligible for a refund. All reimbursements will be processed following the meeting.

APPD LEGACY

APPD is pleased to offer the 4th Annual APPD LEGACY program, a curriculum designed around the unique professional development needs of rising Pediatric Chief Residents. Programing kicks off on Monday, April 13 with a full-day, dynamic leadership curricular retreat, where experts in pediatric medical education will inspire your Rising Pediatric Chief Residents to succeed as prepared, driven and forward-thinking leaders in your programs. Incorporating concepts in leadership styles, professional development, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution, Chief Residents will hear from nationally-renowned faculty and interact with peers to create a clear strategy for their Chief year –and beyond. Programming on the second day, Tuesday, April 14, will feature participation in the APPD Forum for Chief Residents.

Program Schedule
Monday, April 13, 2026
Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel
9:00am – 5:00pm Mountain Time
Download pdf program schedule

9:00am – 9:30am: Registration/Materials Pickup/Breakfast

9:30am – 10:30am: Welcome, Introductions, Overview

10:30am – 10:45am: Break

10:45am – 12:15pm: Breakout Session #1

Group A: LEADERSHIP
Group B: EDUCATION/GROWTH
Group C: ADVOCACY

12:15pm – 1:15pm: LUNCH

1:15pm – 2:45pm: Breakout Session #2

Group B: LEADERSHIP
Group C: EDUCATION/GROWTH
Group A: ADVOCACY

2:45pm – 3:00pm: Break

3:00pm – 4:30pm: Breakout Session #3

Group C: LEADERSHIP
Group A: EDUCATION/GROWTH
Group B: ADVOCACY

4:30pm – 5:00pm: Networking/ Wrap-Up/Evaluations

Registration Fees

Early-Bird Fees (By February 26, 2026):

LEGACY Program + Spring Meeting (Rising Chief Residents): $900

LEGACY Program Only (Rising Chief Residents): $675

Regular Fees (After February 26, 2026):

Legacy Program + Spring Meeting (Rising Chief Residents): $1,000

Legacy Program Only (Rising Chief Residents): $775

APPD LEGACY CO-DIRECTORS

Jay Homme, MD

Associate Program Director
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Rochester)

Cheryl Taurassi, MD

Associate Program Director
Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell at Cohen Children's Medical Center

Housing

Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel (Main Meeting Hotel)
The Sheraton is sold out of rooms at the discounted conference rate for the evenings of April 14 and 15. Attendees needing accommodations on these dates are encouraged to book at our designated overflow hotel, the Sonesta. Thank you for your understanding and for your continued support of APPD. We are thrilled to have an amazing turnout of program leaders!

Address:
1550 Court Place
Denver, CO, 80202
Phone: 303-893-3333

Make online reservations

The discounted room rate for APPD attendees starts at $269 per night (plus fees, taxes).

Deadline for reservations: March 18, 2026 or until rooms are sold out.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sonesta Denver Downtown (Overflow Hotel for Sleeping Rooms; 2 blocks away - 5 minute walk to Sheraton/Main Meeting Hotel)
Sonesta Denver Downtown
1450 Glenarm Place
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 573-1450

Make online reservations

The discounted room rate for APPD attendees starts at $269 per night (plus fees, taxes).

Deadline for reservations: March 15, 2026 or until rooms are sold out.

Call for Chief Resident Abstracts

Call for Chief Resident Abstracts
Deadline for Submission: Friday, February 27, 2026 at 11:59PM EST

APPD Forum for Chief Residents «» Tuesday, April 14, 2026
APPD Chief Resident Poster Session «» Wednesday, April 15, 2026
APPD Section-Specific Session for Chief Residents «» Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Chief Abstract Submission Site: https://www.appd.org/2026-chief-resident-submission/

The APPD Forum for Chief Residents' Planning Committee, sponsored by the APPD Faculty & Professional Development Learning Community, is pleased to announce our annual Call for Abstracts for Graduating Chief Residents.

We invite the submission of innovative Chief Resident projects for these sessions, which will allow Graduating Chief Residents to share educational, administrative, technologic, or mentoring advances with Chief colleagues from around the country.

Accepted abstracts will be presented as either posters during the Wednesday, April 15th Poster Session or as platform presentations (~10 minutes) at either the Chief Forum (4/14) or Chief Section-Specific session (4/15).

**Note: This is a separate process from the main APPD conference abstract submission. It is okay to submit a project that has already been submitted for presentation at the APPD meeting, but please indicate this in the submission form.

Submissions should be:

A description of a unique project you have participated in as a Chief Resident. This may include curricular development, resident wellness programming, research projects, etc.
Submissions must have at least some data/results collected, details of which must be included at time of submission. Abstracts describing interventions must have some POST data by the time of the Chief Forum.
Abstracts should include Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions and may not exceed 2,600 characters (including spaces).
Submit by Friday, February 27, 2026 at 11:59PM EST at the following link: https://www.appd.org/2026-chief-resident-submission/

Submissions will be reviewed by the Planning Committee and authors notified of a decision by March 13th. With any questions, please email Eric Zwemer at eric_zwemer@med.unc.edu.

Medical Education Abstracts

The Call for Medical Education Abstracts is Now CLOSED; Notifications were sent out at the end of January.

Submission Portal: https://spring-abstracts.appd.org/

Download submission guidelines
View abstract submission fields
Poster Specifications

Printing Posters Onsite: Option for Presenters
The Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel has a Fed Ex located within the hotel that has printing capability. Contact Fed Ex here.
1550 Court Pl
Denver, Colorado, 80202
Phone: (303) 218-5465

Accepted abstracts will be selected for live poster presentation at one of the two posters sessions held during the meeting. A few outstanding abstracts will be selected for oral platform presentations at the meeting. All accepted abstracts will be published in the journal, Academic Pediatrics. Abstracts are published exactly as submitted and cannot be edited before publication.

Abstract Topic Categories:

Artificial Intelligence and Technology
Community / Legislative Advocacy
Curriculum Innovations
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Interprofessional Relationships
Leadership / Leadership Skills
Mentoring
Professional / Educator Development
Program Accreditation and Evaluation
Programmatic Innovations: All types of programs innovations - fellowships, categorical programs, small, medium, large sized programs
Quality Improvement / Patient Safety
Recruitment
The Mutigenerational Workplace
Trainee and Faculty Educational Scholarship
Trainee Support, Assessment, Teaching and Remediation
Wellbeing
Workforce Issues

Enhanced Learning Sessions

View a list of Enhanced Learning Sessions that will be featured at the meeting.

Enhanced Learning Sessions (ELS) are 90-minute, interactive workshop-style sessions designed to support deeper learning and practical application. Offered in small, medium, and large group formats, these sessions emphasize participant engagement through discussion, hands-on activities, and real-world case examples, allowing attendees to explore topics in greater depth and leave with actionable strategies they can apply in their work.

Topic Categories

Artificial Intelligence and Technology
Community / Legislative Advocacy
Curriculum Innovations
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Interprofessional Relationships
Leadership / Leadership Skills
Mentoring
Professional / Educator Development
Program Accreditation and Evaluation
Programmatic Innovations: All types of programs innovations - fellowships, categorical programs, small, medium, large sized programs
Quality Improvement / Patient Safety
Recruitment
The Mutigenerational Workplace
Trainee and Faculty Educational Scholarship
Trainee Support, Assessment, Teaching and Remediation
Wellbeing
Workforce Issues

Speaker Information

Enhanced Learning Session Presenters
Presenters of Enhanced Learning Sessions should use the conference provided PowerPoint/Slide template.
Download here.

For your ELS session, APPD will provide standard audiovisual support and equipment, including one screen and projector, a podium with microphone, and a laptop for loading your slides. One wireless microphone will also be available. The meeting room will be arranged with round tables, along with a 6-foot speaker table positioned next to the podium.

Poster Presenters
If you are interested in printing and picking up your poster onsite, the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel has a Fed Ex located within the hotel that has printing capability.
Contact Fed Ex here.
1550 Court Pl
Denver, Colorado, 80202
Phone: (303) 218-5465

View poster specifications.

Speaker/Presenter Registration
All speakers must register and pay for the APPD 2026 Annual Spring Meeting. Register here.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure
All speakers and presenters are required to complete a conflict of interest disclosure. Please complete online here.

Sponsorship

The APPD is pleased to offer sponsorship opportunities for the APPD 2026 Annual Spring Meeting.

Download the sponsorship prospectus to view opportunities.

Sponsorship opportunities are open to program members of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD) and organizations and/or individuals who support and share similar missions and visions to the APPD.

Deadline to secure is a sponsorship is March 31, 2026.

Attendee Composition:
Approximately 1,500 attendees will attend the APPD 2026 Annual Spring Meeting in Denver. Attendees consist of the following job roles in pediatrics.

Residency Program Directors
Residency Associate Program Directors
Residency Program Coordinators and Administrators
Fellowship Program Directors
Fellowship Associate Program Directors
Fellowship Program Coordinators and Administrators
Education Specialists/Managers
Vice Chairs of Education
Department Chairs
Deans
Designated Institutional Officials
Chief Residents (Rising and Graduating)
Trainees (Medical Students, Residents, Fellows)
Global Health Educators
Representatives from the American Board of Pediatrics and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education

Payment:
To secure a sponsorship opportunity, please visit the APPD online store here and select the appropriate meeting sponsorship option(s). Once payment is processed, we will be in touch to begin fulfillment of your sponsorship.

Planning Committee

Thank you to our Spring Planning Committee Members!

Leaders
Chair: Stephen Barone
Chair-Elect: Melissa Bales
Past Chair: Michelle Brooks

Members
APPD President: Megan Aylor
Associate Program Director Executive Committee Rep: Sabrina Ben-Zion
Chief Resident Executive Committee Rep (new chair): Nguyen Lu
Chief Resident Executive Committee Rep (past-chair): Jeffrey Edwards
Coordinator Executive Committee Rep: Ashley Bonham
Fellowship Program Director Executive Committee Rep: Mackenzie Frost
Program Directors Executive Committee Rep: Nikki Orlov
Vice Chairs Executive Committee Rep: Pnina Weiss

Explore Denver

Experience the best of Denver while you’re in town and make your trip more than just a series of conference sessions!

Explore the historic beauty of Denver Union Station, wander through the vibrant LoDo Historic District and Larimer Square, dive into the immersive world of Meow Wolf Denver: Convergence Station, or unwind among the stunning landscapes of the Denver Botanic Gardens. From unforgettable art and culture to great food, lively neighborhoods, and incredible mountain views, Denver has something for every traveler. Don’t just attend the conference — take time to discover the city and enjoy experiences you’ll want to remember.

Explore curated experiences for APPD attendees!