Note from the Associate Editorial Director: Speak up, inspire your peers

by Linnea Archibald

If you’ve known me for any length of time, you have likely heard me say that I am an introvert by nature. Us introverts know that it doesn’t mean we dislike people, but it does mean a public role—particularly one that involves the dreaded public speaking—is not always our favorite to be in. Staying behind the scenes is definitely more comfortable for us, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best thing for us or for the people we interact with.

Stepping outside your comfort zone, putting yourself out there, is one of the quickest ways to grow personally and professionally and make connections with your peers. As your professional association, ACDIS offers a myriad of ways for you to step outside your comfort zone and share your knowledge, making connections along the way, but you have to be willing to take that step with us.

One of the biggest and most impactful ways you can put yourself out there is by speaking at one of ACDIS’ events. Not only does stepping onto that stage for the first time stretch you personally and professionally, but it also offers other CDI professionals the opportunity to learn from you and connect with you over shared experiences.

If you’d like to get outside your comfort zone and try your hand at presenting at one of our 2025 events, I’m delighted to share that the speaker application period is open now until Friday, July 26. Through this application, you’ll have the opportunity to apply to speak at next year’s ACDIS conference, the Physician Advisor Forum, and the ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI.

To apply, complete the online form, which is available here. If your presentation is selected, the information you provide will be used in the agenda, so please remember to do the following:

• Submit a complete proposal, answering all questions included in the application.
• Include an up-to-date biographical paragraph.
• Complete all your contact information, so that we can both reach you and validate your registration details.
• Include a draft of your slide presentation, if possible, as this may increase your chances of being selected! If you don’t have a draft available, a detailed outline is very helpful to the committee.

Applications will be reviewed for the 2025 in-person live conference and may also be considered for future events. Submissions are reviewed by the ACDIS Events Committee and ACDIS staff.

Tip: Many applicants find it easier to write their responses in a Word document, editing the responses until they are happy with the information, and then copying and pasting it into the online form.

You can read more guidelines and suggestions in this article from last week’s CDI Strategies, but please feel free to reach out to the ACDIS team anytime at info@acdis.org.

We can’t wait to read your applications and see who you inspire and connect with by stepping outside your comfort zone!

Editor’s note: Archibald is the associate editorial director for ACDIS. Contact her at linnea.archibald@hcpro.com.