With more than 5,000 health professionals in attendance, the American College of Physicians' annual scientific meeting, which runs Thursday to Saturday at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, is expected to have a significant economic impact on the city, according to M.T.C.C. president Barry Smith.
"This will be the first year that Internal Medicine is hosted by Canada. We welcome our guests and we anticipate a strong representation by the Canadian medical community," Smith said in a statement. "The event benefits our city: With the large number of participants coming in from the U.S., the economic impact will be over $10 million in visitor spending."
The conference, dubbed Internal Medicine 2010, attracts adult medicine specialists, subspecialists, medical students, and allied health professionals. The meeting features more than 250 scientific sessions, including a keynote presentation by Dr. James Orbinski, an activist and associate professor at the University of Toronto.
"The American College of Physicians selected Toronto for Internal Medicine 2010 for several reasons. It is an international city with wonderful attractions, and A.C.P. has several active Canadian chapters. The city has a variety of hotels that appeal to our delegates, and Toronto has excellent meeting facilities," said A.C.P. president Joseph Stubbs.
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. A.C.P. members include 129,000 internists, related specialists, and medical students. The 2011 annual meeting takes place in San Diego.