It has been a remarkable year for the Endocrine Society!
As the year draws to a close it’s timely to reflect on what we achieved over the past 12 months. Over this year we launched two new meetings, merged with an endocrine program directors’ association, entered partnerships to enhance our educational offerings, and created a new initiative to encourage more medical students to enter our field.
And those are just a few of the developments. I’d like to take this opportunity to recount some of our 2024 highlights.
In January 2024, the Society hosted a virtual science writers conference on “hormone balancing,” a concept that has become a popular trend on TikTok and other social media platforms. As the trusted authority, the Society set the record straight before a gathering of top-tier journalists and other influencers.
Our expertise also was evident in a report on endocrine disrupting-chemicals (EDCs) that served as the basis for a February 2024 session of the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA-6). The report was co-produced by the Society and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), a leading global organization working to protect human health from toxic substances.
Over this year we launched two new meetings, merged with an endocrine program directors’ association, entered partnerships to enhance our educational offerings, and created a new initiative to encourage more medical students to enter our field.
Our joint EDCs report, which was prominent on the UNEA-6 agenda, warns that current regulatory approaches used globally fail to account for the latest science on hormones and EDCs.
On the U.S. policy front, through tireless and expert advocacy, the Society celebrated a major win in March 2024 with the extension of the Special Diabetes Program, the first funding increase for the program in two decades. The Society has been a leading advocate for this program, which was created in 1997 to advance research in type 1 diabetes and to address the disproportionate burden of type 2 diabetes on American Indians and Alaskan natives.
Ensuring a Healthy Future for Endocrinology
A key goal of the Society is to ensure the continuing strength of our field. In April 2024, the Society announced a new initiative to address the declining numbers of U.S. medical students choosing to become endocrinologists.
Our new Medical School Engagement Program (MSEP) offers a way for academic leaders to encourage medical students’ interest in endocrinology. To date, MSEP has provided five medical schools with support for endocrinology-focused initiatives and leadership programs, with the aim of developing the pipeline into our specialty from the earliest roots.
For clinicians already working in the field, the Society continues to set the gold standard for guidance and guidelines in endocrine care.
In May 2024, the Society and the European Society of Endocrinology published a joint Clinical Practice Guideline designed to help clinicians manage patients who have, or are at risk of developing, glucocorticoid-induced adrenal insufficiency. This is the first guideline developed and published jointly by our two organizations, and is relevant to tens of millions of patients worldwide.
On our own, the Society in June 2024 issued an updated guideline on vitamin D. The impact of this Clinical Practice Guideline can be seen from the fact that it has been viewed more than 170,000 times in six months on The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism’s online edition.
These Clinical Practice Guidelines, and a wealth of other topics, were front-and-center at our ENDO 2024 meeting, held June 1-4, 2024, in Boston, Ma. The meeting was one of our largest ever, attracting more than 7,500 endocrine professionals from all over the world.
Creating Partnerships
Following ENDO, we took a short breath to celebrate its success and then got right back to work.
In July 2024, the Society announced its merger with the Association of Program Directors in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. APDEM represents academic leaders of more than 135 training programs that prepare fellows for clinical and research careers in endocrinology and metabolism.
Our organizations already have partnered for more than 25 years, and the merger will allow the combined entity to increase efficiencies and fulfill a shared commitment to supporting the endocrine workforce.
Meetings, Meetings, Meetings
Fall was a busy time at the Society. In October 2024, we announced a partnership with conference organizer Keystone Symposia.
Keystone conferences are renowned for being intimate and interactive, and inspiring attendees to pursue new lines of inquiry that can advance discoveries. Our partnership starts with a series of three conferences to advance endocrine research on diabetes, oncology, and cardiovascular disease. These meetings are set to launch in late 2026 or early 2027.
For clinicians already working in the field, the Society continues to set the gold standard for guidance and guidelines in endocrine care.
No waiting was required for our 1st International Conference on Steroid Hormones and Receptors (SHR 2024), held in October 2024 in Albuquerque, N.M. The sold-out meeting builds on a 25-year legacy of highly successful conferences organized by the Steroid Hormones and Receptors in Health and Disease Conference, hosted by FASEB Science Research Conferences (SRC), and The Rapid Responses to Steroid Hormones (RRSH) International Meetings, hosted by the International RRSH Committee.
We look forward to continuing this important meeting going forward.
Also new this fall was the inaugural Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare Virtual Summit, held in November 2024. This unique and timely event explored AI’s potential to revolutionize patient care and shape the future of medicine.
These are just some of the new and innovative events that took place during the past year. We also added a new Special Interest Group focused on obesity, bringing the total number of SIGs up to nine. And not to be overlooked are the Society’s rich offerings of ongoing programs, scholarly journals, and cutting-edge resources that benefit members and our field alike.
So, after a busy and eventful 2024 I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year, and I look forward to staying in touch in 2025!
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