| 2003 ANNUAL MEETING Gamboa Rainforest Resort along the Panama Canal Stephen W. Carmichael, Ph.D. - President Professor and Chair Department of Anatomy Mayo Clinic |
The 2003 Annual Winter Conference of the AACBNC will be held at the Gamboa
Rainforest Resort along the Panama Canal. This is a Five-Star Resort, but we
have negotiated a room rate of $165 that includes tax and breakfast for two.
One of the highlights of the Resort is the Aerial Tram that will take you
through the canopy of the rainforest, and it will be my pleasure to present you
with free tickets to take advantage of this unique experience. Please check
out this marvelous resort at http://www.gamboaresort.com
There are two seasons in Panama, the rainy season and the hot season.
February is in the hot season. Be prepared to enjoy the tropics! Opportunities
abound for exciting activities in your free time, so you (and your guest) may
want to plan to come a few days early or stay a few extra days after the
meeting. There will be the opportunity to sign up for a number of excursions.
One of the "must see" attractions is the working locks of the Panama Canal.
But our meeting will have a serious, scientific side as well. The Keynote
Speaker Wednesday (5 February) evening will be Thomas Owens, M.D.,
speaking on "Public Health Issues and the Building of the Panama Canal," the
subject of a book he has written. Our speaker from the AAMC will be Tony
Mazzaschi speaking on "How Federal Policies are Affecting Departments of
Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Neurobiology." Donald Jenkins, Ph.D., from the
National Library of Medicine, will speak on the "Past, Present, and Future of
the Visible Human Project." Todd Capson of the Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute (located in Panama) will present a talk on Bioprospecting
in Panama. We are hoping to arrange an elective visit to their research
laboratories, which are on an island in Lake Gatun (the Gamboa Rainforest
Resort is on the shore of Lake Gatun). There are three interesting symposia
planned. One is "How to bring more $$$ into your Department…. or Marketing
your Intellectual Property," organized by Susan Stoddard, Ph.D. and myself
and sponsored by Fish & Richardson (a law firm specializing in intellectual
property). Steve Goodman and Michael Friedlander are organizing the
Thermo Finnigan symposium on The Cytoskeleton and Human Disease.
Thermo Finnigan is a worldwide vendor of cutting edge Mass Spectrometers
for Proteomics. Perhaps the most controversial symposium is the one
organized by Bob McCuskey and myself. This symposium is sponsored by
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and the title is "Where will the Future Teachers
of Anatomy Come From?" Scheduled speakers and their topics are:
Darrell Kirch, Chair of the AAMC Council of Deans, "Are Anatomists an
Endangered Species?"
Rick Drake will present a "Survey of Lab-based Teaching."
Bob McCuskey will give some hard data when he presents the "Results of the
AAA-AACBNC survey."
Wojciech Pawlina will address, "The Potential for Using Foreign-trained
Clinicians."
For the first time, there will be a "Past Presidents' Dinner," sponsored by
ICON Learning Systems, so we are particularly encouraging the Past
Presidents of the AACBNC to attend our next meeting. The registration fees
for Past Presidents who are Emeritus Members will be waived.
The highlight of our meeting should be our Annual Banquet. The President of
Panama has been invited to be our Guest of Honor! Mrs. Moscoso is the first
woman to be the President of Panama, so it would be fitting if she presided at
the Inauguration of a Woman President of the AACBNC, Mary Hendrix!
Rainforest Resort along the Panama Canal. This is a Five-Star Resort, but we
have negotiated a room rate of $165 that includes tax and breakfast for two.
One of the highlights of the Resort is the Aerial Tram that will take you
through the canopy of the rainforest, and it will be my pleasure to present you
with free tickets to take advantage of this unique experience. Please check
out this marvelous resort at http://www.gamboaresort.com
There are two seasons in Panama, the rainy season and the hot season.
February is in the hot season. Be prepared to enjoy the tropics! Opportunities
abound for exciting activities in your free time, so you (and your guest) may
want to plan to come a few days early or stay a few extra days after the
meeting. There will be the opportunity to sign up for a number of excursions.
One of the "must see" attractions is the working locks of the Panama Canal.
But our meeting will have a serious, scientific side as well. The Keynote
Speaker Wednesday (5 February) evening will be Thomas Owens, M.D.,
speaking on "Public Health Issues and the Building of the Panama Canal," the
subject of a book he has written. Our speaker from the AAMC will be Tony
Mazzaschi speaking on "How Federal Policies are Affecting Departments of
Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Neurobiology." Donald Jenkins, Ph.D., from the
National Library of Medicine, will speak on the "Past, Present, and Future of
the Visible Human Project." Todd Capson of the Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute (located in Panama) will present a talk on Bioprospecting
in Panama. We are hoping to arrange an elective visit to their research
laboratories, which are on an island in Lake Gatun (the Gamboa Rainforest
Resort is on the shore of Lake Gatun). There are three interesting symposia
planned. One is "How to bring more $$$ into your Department…. or Marketing
your Intellectual Property," organized by Susan Stoddard, Ph.D. and myself
and sponsored by Fish & Richardson (a law firm specializing in intellectual
property). Steve Goodman and Michael Friedlander are organizing the
Thermo Finnigan symposium on The Cytoskeleton and Human Disease.
Thermo Finnigan is a worldwide vendor of cutting edge Mass Spectrometers
for Proteomics. Perhaps the most controversial symposium is the one
organized by Bob McCuskey and myself. This symposium is sponsored by
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and the title is "Where will the Future Teachers
of Anatomy Come From?" Scheduled speakers and their topics are:
Darrell Kirch, Chair of the AAMC Council of Deans, "Are Anatomists an
Endangered Species?"
Rick Drake will present a "Survey of Lab-based Teaching."
Bob McCuskey will give some hard data when he presents the "Results of the
AAA-AACBNC survey."
Wojciech Pawlina will address, "The Potential for Using Foreign-trained
Clinicians."
For the first time, there will be a "Past Presidents' Dinner," sponsored by
ICON Learning Systems, so we are particularly encouraging the Past
Presidents of the AACBNC to attend our next meeting. The registration fees
for Past Presidents who are Emeritus Members will be waived.
The highlight of our meeting should be our Annual Banquet. The President of
Panama has been invited to be our Guest of Honor! Mrs. Moscoso is the first
woman to be the President of Panama, so it would be fitting if she presided at
the Inauguration of a Woman President of the AACBNC, Mary Hendrix!
| Program |
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| Airfare |
Airfares purchased now for the trip from many cities in the U.S. and Canada to
Panama City, Panama (PTY) will be less expensive than those purchased in
later months. Seats for low published, companion, or zone fares are limited.
Airlines that serve PTY include American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Copa,
and Delta. Discount and/or zone fares have been negotiated with both
Continental Airlines and American Airline.
Continental Airlines offers zone fares which are less restrictive and usually
less expensive. These zone fares are $450, $550, or $500 plus tax. For
Continental Airlines, call 1-800-468-7022 and ask for International Reservations.
Give them reference code U66M82. Continental Airlines has informed us that
reservations made through 800-468-7022 can be held until one week prior to
the flights.
Discount and zone fares are also available through American Airlines. Call
1-800-433-1790 and give identifier A3313AC. Ask for the lowest fare that would
be 10 or 15% off of an applicable fare or the zone fare. Zone fares range from
$564 to $683 plus tax from the continental U.S. The zone fares have to be
booked within 14 days of making reservations.
Travel to Panama requires a current passport or a certified birth certificate and
a valid photo ID. Presently, a visa and immunizations are not required. Panama
is in the central time zone.
Panama City, Panama (PTY) will be less expensive than those purchased in
later months. Seats for low published, companion, or zone fares are limited.
Airlines that serve PTY include American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Copa,
and Delta. Discount and/or zone fares have been negotiated with both
Continental Airlines and American Airline.
Continental Airlines offers zone fares which are less restrictive and usually
less expensive. These zone fares are $450, $550, or $500 plus tax. For
Continental Airlines, call 1-800-468-7022 and ask for International Reservations.
Give them reference code U66M82. Continental Airlines has informed us that
reservations made through 800-468-7022 can be held until one week prior to
the flights.
Discount and zone fares are also available through American Airlines. Call
1-800-433-1790 and give identifier A3313AC. Ask for the lowest fare that would
be 10 or 15% off of an applicable fare or the zone fare. Zone fares range from
$564 to $683 plus tax from the continental U.S. The zone fares have to be
booked within 14 days of making reservations.
Travel to Panama requires a current passport or a certified birth certificate and
a valid photo ID. Presently, a visa and immunizations are not required. Panama
is in the central time zone.
| GROUND TRANSPORTATION |
Gamboa Rainforest Resort is approximately 45 minutes from Tocumen
International Airport outside of Panama City. Round-trip transportation by
Gamboa Tours is included in the registration fee. The AACBNC will contact
registrants by email after November 1, 2002 with details for arranging Gamboa
Tours to meet their flights. There will be no partial refund in your registration
fee if you decline the arranged transportation.
Automobile rentals are readily available at the airport or can be arranged for at
the Resort. Reservations can be made with Hertz, National, Thrifty, Budget,
Avis or Dollar Rent a Car. Arrangements can be made with Thrifty or National to
drop off the car at the Resort for a small fee or sometimes complementary,
depending on the number of days the car is being rented. For the other
companies, rental would have to be done at the airport.
International Airport outside of Panama City. Round-trip transportation by
Gamboa Tours is included in the registration fee. The AACBNC will contact
registrants by email after November 1, 2002 with details for arranging Gamboa
Tours to meet their flights. There will be no partial refund in your registration
fee if you decline the arranged transportation.
Automobile rentals are readily available at the airport or can be arranged for at
the Resort. Reservations can be made with Hertz, National, Thrifty, Budget,
Avis or Dollar Rent a Car. Arrangements can be made with Thrifty or National to
drop off the car at the Resort for a small fee or sometimes complementary,
depending on the number of days the car is being rented. For the other
companies, rental would have to be done at the airport.
| REGISTRATIONS |
There are two essential forms for Annual Meeting registration. One is for
Resort Registration and the other one is for Meeting Registration. There is
an additional form for those of you who wish to stay additional days at the
Miramar Inter·Continental in Panama City. All forms are online and can be
viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader (see link below). Please complete these
online if possible. If you should have difficulty with the online forms, e-mail
JudyL@med.sc.edu and provide your name and fax number to obtain a faxed
copy.
Resort Registration and the other one is for Meeting Registration. There is
an additional form for those of you who wish to stay additional days at the
Miramar Inter·Continental in Panama City. All forms are online and can be
viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader (see link below). Please complete these
online if possible. If you should have difficulty with the online forms, e-mail
JudyL@med.sc.edu and provide your name and fax number to obtain a faxed
copy.
| Resort Registration |
The Resort Registration form can be completed and faxed to
011-507-314-9020 or 011-507-206-5670. For questions, call 1-877-800-1690 toll
free from the U.S. Address the fax and any phone calls to the attention of Ms.
Lourdes Constante, Reservations Manager. Remember to sign the form if
you choose to fax it.
There are Deluxe Rooms and Junior Suites. The Junior Suites are Deluxe
Rooms with a circular staircase leading to a loft bed and additional bathroom
with a shower.
Breakfast and tax are included in the price of the room for up to two people
per room (total of $165 per night). Also, please note the hotel has the rooms
blocked for the nights of February 4-9 anticipating that most registrants will
arrive on the 4th and leave on the 9th. The honoring of room rates is five
nights on either side of the 5th and 9th, if available at the time of making
reservations. Check in time is 3:00 pm and check out time is noon. Children
15 years old and younger may occupy the room with their parents at no
additional charge. Children over 15 or extra person (up to 2 more in a room)
would be charged at $30 per person per night. There is a round trip baggage
handling fee of $4.00 per room per stay and a maid gratuity of $2.50 per day
per room to be added to your bill.
011-507-314-9020 or 011-507-206-5670. For questions, call 1-877-800-1690 toll
free from the U.S. Address the fax and any phone calls to the attention of Ms.
Lourdes Constante, Reservations Manager. Remember to sign the form if
you choose to fax it.
There are Deluxe Rooms and Junior Suites. The Junior Suites are Deluxe
Rooms with a circular staircase leading to a loft bed and additional bathroom
with a shower.
Breakfast and tax are included in the price of the room for up to two people
per room (total of $165 per night). Also, please note the hotel has the rooms
blocked for the nights of February 4-9 anticipating that most registrants will
arrive on the 4th and leave on the 9th. The honoring of room rates is five
nights on either side of the 5th and 9th, if available at the time of making
reservations. Check in time is 3:00 pm and check out time is noon. Children
15 years old and younger may occupy the room with their parents at no
additional charge. Children over 15 or extra person (up to 2 more in a room)
would be charged at $30 per person per night. There is a round trip baggage
handling fee of $4.00 per room per stay and a maid gratuity of $2.50 per day
per room to be added to your bill.
| Meeting Registration |
The Meeting Registration form should be completed, printed, and faxed to
(803)253-5859 or mailed to the Society address on the form. Meeting
reservations via credit card can also be called in to (803)733-3233. Please be
sure to sign the form before you fax or mail it to the Society office.
Although the deadline for receipt of the Resort Registration is October 31,
2002, we encourage you to register early to ensure room availability. We ask
you to send in the meeting registration to the AACBNC at your earliest
convenience because the AACBNC must prepay part of the meeting cost to
the resort and provide the resort with a near final list of attendees early.
(803)253-5859 or mailed to the Society address on the form. Meeting
reservations via credit card can also be called in to (803)733-3233. Please be
sure to sign the form before you fax or mail it to the Society office.
Although the deadline for receipt of the Resort Registration is October 31,
2002, we encourage you to register early to ensure room availability. We ask
you to send in the meeting registration to the AACBNC at your earliest
convenience because the AACBNC must prepay part of the meeting cost to
the resort and provide the resort with a near final list of attendees early.
| Reservation for the Miramar Inter·Continental Hotel Panama City |
For those of you who wish to stay in Panama City on Panama Bay before or
after the time of the meeting at Gamboa, the AACBNC has been quoted the
following rates at the Miramar Inter·Continental in Panama City. You can see
this hotel at http://panama-city.panama.intercontinental.com/index.shtml .
Deluxe rooms are $135 plus 10% tax nightly. This non-commissionable rate
includes buffet breakfast in the Bay View Restaurant. Club Intercontinental
rooms are $150 plus 10% tax per night. This non-commissionable rate
includes deluxe continental breakfast in private lounge, private access to
club floors, private lounge with guest relations staff, complimentary happy
hour 6-8pm, private pool on top of building overlooking Panama Bay, daily
newspaper, and butler service.
The Hotel Registration form can be completed and faxed to
011-507-214-1002. For questions, call 011-507-214-1000. Address the fax and
any phone calls to the attention of Ulrique Stichweh, Reservations
Manager. Remember to sign the form if you choose to fax it.
The AACBNC will pay for the additional transfer one time if you stop in
Panama City between the airport and Gamboa or Gamboa and the airport.
However, in order to have any transfer paid for, you must make
arrangements through Gamboa Tours via directions that will be forthcoming
from the AACBNC.
after the time of the meeting at Gamboa, the AACBNC has been quoted the
following rates at the Miramar Inter·Continental in Panama City. You can see
this hotel at http://panama-city.panama.intercontinental.com/index.shtml .
Deluxe rooms are $135 plus 10% tax nightly. This non-commissionable rate
includes buffet breakfast in the Bay View Restaurant. Club Intercontinental
rooms are $150 plus 10% tax per night. This non-commissionable rate
includes deluxe continental breakfast in private lounge, private access to
club floors, private lounge with guest relations staff, complimentary happy
hour 6-8pm, private pool on top of building overlooking Panama Bay, daily
newspaper, and butler service.
The Hotel Registration form can be completed and faxed to
011-507-214-1002. For questions, call 011-507-214-1000. Address the fax and
any phone calls to the attention of Ulrique Stichweh, Reservations
Manager. Remember to sign the form if you choose to fax it.
The AACBNC will pay for the additional transfer one time if you stop in
Panama City between the airport and Gamboa or Gamboa and the airport.
However, in order to have any transfer paid for, you must make
arrangements through Gamboa Tours via directions that will be forthcoming
from the AACBNC.
AACBNC
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