March 2010

This week sees the first announcement of programme details for World Physical Therapy 2011. Eighteen focused symposia have been selected from the 69 received. “We’ve been delighted at the number of high quality proposals we’ve had for focused symposia,” says Ann Moore, Chair of WCPT’s International Scientific Committee, which is responsible for putting together the programme for the WCPT Congress. “It’s meant that we’ve been able to select the best speakers, addressing topics that physical therapists all over the world want - and need - to know more about.”

The 18 different focused symposia feature top level speakers from all of WCPT’s five regions with each one dealing with an issue of global relevance to the profession, including:

• stroke rehabilitation
• the ICF
• evidence based practice
• cerebral palsy
• mobilising in ICUs 
• physical activity
• exercise and cancer
• disability and HIV
• cardiac rehabilitation
• clinical education
• educational standards
• spinal manipulation
• moral action
• pain management
• qualitative research
• management quality

To view the full list of sessions, abstracts and speakers please go to the WCPT website at http://www.wcpt.org/congress/fs.

The call for proposals for the Congress satellite programme closed on 26 February with a total of 75 proposals received. The review process is now in place and selections will be announced in June. The courses and workshops to be included in the programme will cover the full range of topics from across the main congress themes and tracks, enabling delegates to complement their congress experience with a related education session.

For more information about the satellite programme please go to http://www.wcpt.org/sat_prog.

Don't forget that the main call for abstracts for World Physical Therapy 2011 is now open for:

• platform presentations
• poster presentations
• poster discussion sessions

All submissions must be made electronically via the WCPT website. For further details and to download a full copy of the call for abstracts and submission guidelines go to www.wcpt.org/congress/abstracts.

The closing date for abstract submissions is 15 September 2010.

The abstract mentoring programme is only available for a further 3 months. It has been put in place for those with limited or no experience of submitting an abstract for a scientific congress. The programme may also be helpful for those whose first language is not English. For further information go to http://www.wcpt.org/congress/mentoring.

The closing date for the abstract mentoring programme is 30 June.

A full list of topics is now available to view under each of the programme tracks at http://www.wcpt.org/sites/wcpt.org/files/files/WPT2011_TopicList.pdf.

Congress registration and accommodation booking will be opening in June - look out for the next issue of Congress update for further details.