Motor TravelIndividuals living in the south and southeast can work within their chapters, their SNMA region, and their local schools to arrange ride sharing. Chapters may wish to consider, for instance, employing a bus company to transport a number of their members to New Orleans, since group travel can, in the long run, prove to be a cost-efficient means of reducing overall conference expenses for many people. Check with your chapter officers to see what might be organized locally, through individuals sharing a ride and by chartered motor coach lines. Train TravelTrain travel to New Orleans will add additional days to your trip. But for those who have the time and want to enjoy and extended sightseeing excursion, travel by rail may be worth considering. Travel by train can be comfortable and relaxing, with some trains providing internet access, so study time is possible. Three AMTRAK trains pass through or terminate in New Orleans. They are AMTRAK's Crescent (New York), City of New Orleans (Chicago), and the Sunset Limited (Los Angeles), each with express and regional service. All trains depart and arrive from Union Passenger Terminal, located at 1001 Loyola Avenue, in downtown New Orleans. Air Travel New Orleans’ airport is Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY), located just 15 miles from the Central Business District and French Quarter. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport offers 132 daily departures to 37 cities on 10 major airlines. The following U.S.-based airline companies serve the New Orleans International Airport: AirTran Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, ComAir (Delta), Northwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines, TWA, United Airlines, and US Airways. No major airline uses New Orleans as its hub, so direct flights are few and expensive; most flights require one stop and sometimes a change of planes, so plan accordingly. Posted fares between Philadelphia and New Orleans (with travel booked in 2008), with one stop, begin at about $280. Other “bargains” may be posted in various places online, but it is always advantageous to book air travel as early as possible, in order to obtain the lowest rates. When or if SNMA determines that there is potential value available to AMEC meeting attendees in designating an “official airline,” essential information will be posted here. Air TravelNew Orleans’ airport is Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY), located just 15 miles from the Central Business District and French Quarter. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport offers 132 daily departures to 37 cities on 10 major airlines. The following U.S.-based airline companies serve the New Orleans International Airport: AirTran Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, ComAir (Delta), Northwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines, TWA, United Airlines, and US Airways.No major airline uses New Orleans as its hub, so direct flights are few and expensive; most flights require one stop and sometimes a change of planes, so plan accordingly. Posted fares between Philadelphia and New Orleans (with travel booked in 2008), with one stop, begin at about $280. Other “bargains” may be posted in various places online, but it is always advantageous to book air travel as early as possible, in order to obtain the lowest rates. When or if SNMA determines that there is potential value available to AMEC meeting attendees in designating an “official airline,” essential information will be posted here. Local ConditionsThe weather in New Orleans in April ranges in temperature of from 60 to 80 degrees and is clear about 65% of the time. In most instances, this is an ideal time of the year to visit, in the Spring, when the weather is cool and rain showers are infrequent. Discover more about New Orleans by visiting www.neworleanscvb.com. The City of New Orleans is ready to welcome SNMA’s meeting attendees. Local TravelNew Orleans has a very accessible and most attractions are well within walking distance. But for those who don’t bring their walking shoes, New Orleans has a reasonably priced public transportation system. It only costs $1.25 to take an RTA bus or one of the city’s famed streetcars (a historic landmark), which travel the Riverfront and Canal Street. As one of the world’s top convention and meeting destinations, New Orleans also has a range of national car rental agencies, as well as taxi services, some offering discounted group fares. Some of the city’s attractions offer free shuttle service. Check on the Convention & Visitors Bureau’s website or contact the Sheraton’s concierge for more information.ParkingParking at the Sheraton Hotel costs $30 per night.HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS AND RESERVATIONSThe site and host hotel for the 2009 AMEC is the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, located at 500 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130. Check here to view the hotel’s photo tour: http://www.sheratonneworleans.com/photo_gallery.php. The Sheraton New Orleans has provided for the terrific STUDENT rate of $99.00 per night for single/double accommodations; $124 triple and $149 quad. A graduated rate of $159-$209 per night—single to quad--applies to NON-STUDENTS, including EXHIBITORS. A 13% local tax, plus $3.00 occupancy fee per room per night is not included in the published room rate and is applicable to each room night reserved. These rates apply three days before and three days after the meeting dates, subject to availability of rooms at the time the reservation is made. A deposit covering the first night’s stay will be obtained by the hotel when the reservation is made and is refundable if cancelled within 24 hours of the specified arrival date. Check-in time at the hotel is 3:00 pm; check-out time is 12:00 Noon. All participants—non-students and students alike—are to make their own hotel reservations. A deposit equal to the room rate, plus tax, for one room night will be required to guarantee the reservation. March 18, 2009 is the hotel's deadline for guaranteeing reservations at the SNMA group rate. Deposits may be made by check or by using a major credit card and must be received by the hotel’s cut off date. The availability of rooms and/or the rate are subject to availability. When making reservation at the hotel, be sure and confirm the last date on which a no-penalty cancellation can be made. Also make note of the hotel’s check-in and check-out time, since this information will be particularly useful to those traveling to New Orleans from the West. Make room reservations at the Sheraton by telephone, toll-free, by calling 1-888-627-7033 or locally 504-525-2500. Be sure and ask for the “SNMA Studnet” group rate. A deposit equal to the room rate, plus tax, for one room night will be required to guarantee the reservation. You can also make a reservation online. Do do so, follow the link provided in MedConnect, under "Announcements" (SNMA members only). Reserve rooms now, even if your travel plans are uncertain; you can always call and change or cancel the reservation at a later time, if you need to. But the SNMA room block frequently sells out well before the established deadline and rooms in the block could be quickly exhausted in this popular destination and, once rooms in the SNMA block are gone, SNMA will have little control over the availability and pricing of additional rooms, so you are advised to book early. You are also advised that the hotel is entitled to charge its standard room rates to anyone whose registration for the conference cannot be confirmed by the SNMA Headquarters! It is important, therefore, that all persons on the hotel’s reservations list are also registered to attend the conference (meaning, “no crashers”). Lists are cross checked. AMEC REGISTRATION FEES AND INCLUSIONSThe fees posted below cover admission to exhibits, plenary sessions, workshops, and delegate sessions on all three days, in addition to some special events for which tickets are issued and required for admission control: a Social/Networking Event (to be determined), the President’s Installation Luncheon, the BOD Banquet and Post-banquet dance. Various handouts and gifts are also given to attendees. Pre-medical Forum attendees receive a ticket to the PMF Luncheon. Traditional meals … that is, three-meals-a-day… are not furnished, but we are able to secure some meals through sponsorship and these will be posted. Light refreshments are generally available in the exhibit halls and at sponsored events on each day. No "Guest" registration fee has been established for the 2009 conference. All persons who are registering are required to be current SNMA members in an appropriate member category. A new or renewed membership must be postmarked by February 23, 2009, in order to not incur a late fee for conference registration! Fees for the conference registration and other program components are below. For your information, five-dollars of every conference registration are allocated to the SNMA permanent Building Fund, by authority of the SNMA House of Delegates. General Admission
Extra Event Tickets Tickets that are given as part of the registration cost (three per individual) will be issued on-site to each person registered. Additional event tickets--beyond the three included with a registration--should be purchased in advance, but will also be available on-site at a higher cost. Ticket prices follow:
Tickets may be purchased using cash, a check, money order, traveler’s check or a VISA, Discover, American Express or MasterCard charge card. We are not able to accept Diners Club charges, nor bank ATM or debit cards. Diagnostic Exams: Pre-registration : $ 15 On-site: N.A. Pay this fee with your conference registration, indicating on the registration form at which exam you intend to sit, USMLE 1, USMLE 2, or COMLEX. REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONSRegistration Form Please click on this link to fill in or download and complete the form for Participant Registration. Complete the registration form and return it--along with the payment--to the SNMA National Headquarters. Persons registering at the Early-bird discounted fee must have their forms and payment in by November 1, 2008. Members who are attending their SNMA Regional Convention have until December 15, 2008 to also register for the New Orleans AMEC at discount; they must be properly certified by their Regional Director. “Regular” registration fees are applicable from November 2, 2008, through to February 23, 2009 (except for those extensions allowed for attendees at SNMA Regional Meetings). All registrations must be completed online or mailed to National Headquarters, postmarked by February 23, 2009. Persons who cannot meet the February 23rd deadline must pay online or on-site. After you have registered (and prior to the conference), you will be sent a written confirmation of your registration. If requested, please bring your confirmation form with you to the New Orleans site in order to obtain your name badge, tickets, and other meeting materials. Further details needed for your arrival and registration at the site, if appropriate, will be furnished along with the confirmation. *As of March 17, 2009, pre-registration for the conference is closed. If you plan to attend the conference and have not yet registered, please report to the Napoleon Pre-function room, on the third floor of the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel for "On-site Registration" during scheduled registration times. Please see the "Conference Schedule" for registration times. Payment of Fees Payment must accompany an individual’s conference registration form, whether you are registering by mail or online. The SNMA National Headquarters will accept payment by mail in the form of a check, money order, credit card charge to a VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover account, or through a school’s purchase order. You may fax a registration only if payment is being made by credit card or via a school’s Purchase Order. If you fax your registration form using a credit card as a payment option, do not also send the "original" copy in the mail. This may result in duplication of charges, discrepancies in payment documentation, and inconvenience to both you and the SNMA staff. No registration form will be processed until the required payment has been identified and/or has been received at SNMA Headquarters. Please note …
If you are registering online, follow the instructions at this link on the SNMA web page: TBD. Confirmation of your registration and payment will be sent to you electronically. Make sure that the e-mail address that you use is current and will remain current. We strongly recommend that you emphasize to the appropriate persons (or offices) at your school who will be paying the registration fees for you that there is a registration deadline and that late fees are assessed to any individual whose payment (or payment guarantee) is not received by the deadline. SNMA will not invoice schools for late fees. Rather, you will be expected to pay them on site in New Orleans. Neither do we expect that schools will know an individual’s membership status; we hold you responsible for your own SNMA membership fees. The National Headquarters staff is the final determiner of when registrations are received or postmarked. Registration and/or membership applications received after February 1st will be taken to the conference site and processed there, as on site registrations. Group Payments Headquarters will accept a single payment from an SNMA chapter or school office, which total covers a group of individuals, but separate registration forms for each student covered must accompany that payment. Where applicable and to the extent possible, please stress the importance of meeting the deadline to your school’s official or your chapter’s Treasurer. Ask your school now to make preparations for your attendance and ask that they not send applications separate from the payment unless the applications are accompanied by a purchase order or some other official document guaranteeing payment. DETAILED TERMS AND CONDITIONS (BELOW) GOVERNING PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION AT THE SNMA’S ANNUAL MEDICAL EDUCATION CONFERENCES ARE PART OF THIS REGISTRATION GUIDELINES. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE READ THEM! YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE TERMS IS REQUIRED ON THE REGISTRATION FORM. Other Registration Advisories • When preparing to register, do so in a timely manner, in order to meet the February 23rd (or earlier), postmark deadline and allowing for possible mail delays or other mishaps. • The staff will not process nor will we hold registration forms that are received (by fax or by mail) without an accompanying payment, unless the form is accompanied by a copy of a school’s/organization’s check, purchase order or other official evidence of committed payment. • The Headquarters staff will be absent from SNMA offices about one week prior to the meeting’s starting date in order to handle set-up requirements at the hotel. Any communication sent to the Headquarters after April 1, 2009 most likely cannot be addressed in a timely manner or not at all. TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTIONThe SNMA Conference Program The SNMA annual conference is not a public offering. It is designed especially for SNMA members and promoted as a complete package. Total conference costs are supported through sponsorship and other revenue-generating methods, so that fees can be discounted for SNMA members. Therefore, SNMA’s registration requirements and fees may be somewhat more inflexible than those of other national meetings. The conference package includes some activities and meal functions that are ticketed and some which are not. Because of our agreements with certain sponsors and service providers, we are not able to sell “pieces” or one day segments of the conference. Please do not call the National Headquarters asking to obtain special rates to attend the conference on one day or another or for other exceptions because a personal schedule conflict restricts your attendance in some way. Membership Status Know your membership status! You must be a current SNMA member to register for the conference program. Non-students, undergraduate advisors, or chaperones who attend must also obtain a membership, if they do not already have one. You may apply for and pay a SNMA membership along with your conference registration or you can send them separately. To take advantage of the discounted pre-registration rates, though, a membership application and payment must be postmarked by February 23, 2009. If you are just now paying a membership, you will be paying in the administrative year that begins in November 2008, so you will become a current member for the 2008-2009 administrative year, which ends in November 2009. "Is my membership current?" Typically, if you have received this brochure in the mail, via the JSNMA for example, you are already a current SNMA member. However, if you have downloaded the registration brochure from the SNMA website or have had to ask our National Headquarters to furnish a copy, very likely your membership has recently expired or the office has not received your member application and payment at all. First-year medical students and undergraduates who must renew their membership annually are most often the persons from whom the National Headquarters must collect dues concurrent with conference registration fees. If you have questions about your member status, look on your membership card for the expiration date, check with your SNMA chapter officer or email the National Headquarters office at memberinfo@snma.org. Do this before completing and sending your registration form, so that you may be certain of paying the correct fees and are not inconvenienced when you arrive in New Orleans. Remember, your membership must be postmarked by February 23, 2009, in order not to incur a late fee. Membership Definitions For purposes of establishing this conference’s participation criteria, active members are medical students who are currently enrolled in an allopathic or osteopathic medical teaching program and who have paid SNMA’s standard four-year membership fee of $100 (or a $30 annual payment allowed for students continuing beyond the first four years). Associate members are college students in pre-medical programs, high school students or those enrolled in health related, non medicine professional programs who have paid the SNMA annual membership fee of $25 or a two year fee of $35. Non-student registration embraces our professional members who are physicians, patrons, educators, and other supporters of SNMA programs. Physician/patron membership requires an annual payment of $50. Delegate Status Any current SNMA member may attend the Annual Medical Education Conference and participate fully in conference events, including the House of Delegates (HOD). However, not every attendee is a “Delegate.” Delegates have voting privileges in the HOD and are selected by each SNMA chapter in accordance with delegate apportionment guidelines, as determined each year by the SNMA Membership Committee. Check with your chapter officers if you are interested in Delegate status. Some HOD sessions are closed to non-Delegates. Closed sessions are announced in advance. Registration Allowances Conference admission is restricted to those whose registration forms and fees have been received and processed by the SNMA National Headquarters, and who have been given the appropriate credentials. Only registered individuals holding badges may attend all conference events. This restriction is imposed to protect the integrity and exclusivity of the annual event, as well as to meet our security, insurance, and contractual obligations. A spouse or friend who may be sharing a hotel room with a registered individual need not register for the entire conference program, but may purchase separate tickets to attend certain events. However, individuals holding tickets alone will not be issued name badges and therefore will be prohibited from attending all other meeting activities. Pre-medical students and their advisors or chaperones are encouraged to attend all aspects of the medical conference, not just those specifically designated in the schedule as "PmF," unless there is a specific ticket requirement for admission. The Pre-medical Forum Recruitment Fair is a component of the SNMA conference requiring a separate application form and fees for the medical school offices that wish to exhibit. These offices must register in advance. Do not assume that because you have registered for the conference as a medical student participant, that you are automatically entitled to represent your medical school in the Pre-medical Forum Recruitment Fair. You are not! If this activity is of interest to you, have an administrator at your school download the 2009 exhibit information from our website or request that an application be sent. Exhibiting information can be obtained by sending an email to: conference@snma.org or marketing@snma.org. Cancellations/Refunds You may cancel and expect a full refund up until February 15, 2009. Notice of a cancellation must be sent in writing to the National Headquarters (this includes email messages). Persons canceling after the February 15th deadline will forfeit the conference registration fee, since certain costs for participants will already have been committed or paid. Allowable refunds are not made until after SNMA has settled all accounts and obligations, usually after about 90 days following the close of the conference. Substitutions Participants who have registered for the conference, but find that they are unable to attend may have someone else use their registration. Written notification and authorization to the Headquarters must be furnished in order for our staff to transfer one person’s registration and payment to another individual. Notification (email is acceptable) should originate from the original applicant or entity that has paid the fee. The name and other contact information of the substitute person must be included in the communication. The person substituted must also be an SNMA member or he/she will need to pay a membership fee and late fees, if applicable. Notification about a substitution may be at no additional charge up until March 1, 2009. After March 1st, if you have registered but find that you are unable to attend the conference and you have not named a substitute, you will be deemed a ‘no show’ and any fees paid for the registration will be treated as a “cancellation” and the fees paid forfeited. Settling Prior Debt Persons with outstanding balances from a previous SNMA annual conference will not be registered for the New Orleans program until the prior debt is reconciled. Persons owing any outstanding balance must settle any prior conference debt prior to registering for the 2009 AMEC. This is an SNMA Board policy, which is strictly applied. Distribution/Availability of Conference Materials One reason for urging as many people as possible to pre-register early is to assure that we have provided for adequate supplies for participants at the conference. We make every effort to stock supplies for all conference attendees. However, we only guarantee conference kits to those who have registered by the final regular registration deadline. Although we try to accurately predict the number of persons who will register on-site, this is a matter over which we have no control. There have been instances where there were unusually large numbers of on-site registrations, materials have run out. Help us to avoid this inconvenience and disservice to others by registering early! Late Arrivals at the Conference We will "hold" conference materials for pre-registered attendees who may be arriving late at the conference site. If you find that your arrival in New Orleans will be significantly late, after the program has gotten underway, let us know. Email us by March 10th and we will list you as a late arrival, holding your materials for you until you arrive. After that time, any uncollected conference materials may be given to on-site registrants who might not have received conference packets. We will not mail conference kits to pre-registered no shows. We make no such provisions about the availability of conference materials to those registering on site! Although every effort is made to assure that all those who register complete conference packages, some or all materials could be exhausted if there are large numbers of on-site registrations. In the event of a shortage of complete conference kits, on-site registrants will be given a rain check to receive--after 10:00 am Saturday--any conference kits that remain. Availability and Management of Event Tickets Event tickets are not refundable, nor will lost tickets be replaced. You are also forewarned that, in some conference locations, the hotel and/or local ordinance may set strict limits on seating at certain events, and we can only seat those persons who are holding pre-sold tickets. If on-site registration numbers at the conference are unusually high, it could mean that certain event tickets may be limited and/or for which late registration could result in diminished services or materials. If such is the case, the ability for SNMA Headquarters to extend reduced rates or to allow alternate accommodations for those registering on-site is based strictly upon decisions made by the SNMA Executive Committee at the time. To get the benefit of complete, unencumbered conference participation, register early! Limits of Liability With the cooperation of the host hotel, SNMA prepares a conference program that is designed to enhance students’ academic and career pursuits and to afford them opportunities for beneficial networking with other students and career professionals. In addition, on-site accommodations (including provisions for registration and daily administration of the conference) are arranged in compliance with contractual obligations and/or legal requirements to ensure the reasonable convenience, comfort, and safety for all attendees. Accordingly, the SNMA interprets that an individual from whom a Participant Registration form has been received has read and understands the Terms and Conditions stated herein, they agree to SNMA’s policies and procedures, and they have therefore registered for the annual meeting as a matter of choice. In registering for the annual conference, the applicant agrees to exempt SNMA and the host hotel from liability for inconvenience, illness, injury, or loss of property he/she may experience while in attendance at the conference, at either on- or off-site events, whether he/she is officially registered for the conference or not or is merely a ticket holder or casual observer. We expect that students who are under the age of legal consent will ask a parent or representative authority to sign or co-sign the registration form. SNMA shall interpret upon receipt of the signed form that a parent or representative authority has fully read and agrees with the provisions of Participant Registration, as described throughout this brochure, and that they are consenting to the registration of a non-adult for whom they may be responsible, including making arrangements for safe travel, suitable accommodations, and appropriate supervision at the conference location. Extraordinary Circumstances Any special conditions or extenuating circumstances that are incompatible with these policies and instructions should be put in writing and communicated to the SNMA National Headquarters as soon as possible, but no later than March 1, 2009. Any exceptions or allowances will be made only at the discretion of SNMA’s executive officers. For more information regarding AMEC Participant Registration, contact SNMA National Headquarters, at memberinfo@snma.org. SEE YOU IN THE BIG EASY!!!
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