The Society of Quality Assurance has become one of the most important annual meeting places for those who work in the scientific community.

If you're new to the histology industry and haven't attended SQA, it's a yearly conference you can't miss based on the proven educational value.

Held each year in either March, April, or May, this year's event takes place from March 26-31 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland (near Washington, DC). This event continually provides educational tools and advice to keep yourself relevant in a perpetually competitive scientific industry.

Why the Event is So Relevant

One great thing about SQA is that it integrates with the SQA Quality College, a separate but similar event. When you attend, you're basically attending two events in one covering an overwhelming amount of educational (as well as intentionally fun) programs.

For the first two days, you'll be able to experience pre-conference training, followed by three full days of conference sessions. You'll even be able to take part in an extra day of post-conference training, giving you over a week's worth of things you can learn from and immediately apply.

Here's a look at this year's schedule to give you a good idea of what to expect.

Opening Weekend

If you've booked time for at least the opening weekend at SQA, you'll already be facing a packed schedule. On Saturday, 25March, pre-conference activities take place, including the board of directors meeting, and an open house for desk registration.

On Sunday, the event kicks into high gear with various training programs. The day starts with coffee and pastries at 7:00 a.m., then hits the ground running at 8:00 a.m. with basic training on Good Laboratory Practices (GLP).

Other training events to look out for on Sunday include a lecture on good clinical practices, a history and practice of FDA GMPs, plus information on audits in biostatistics (data integrity).

All of these lectures feature some of the most notable names in the scientific community, including Amey Adams, PhD (Center for Veterinary Medicine) and Ramjay Vatsan, PhD (Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research).

The Schedule for Each Weekday

On Monday, watch out for more lectures packed into every hour of the day. A highlight not to miss is An Auditor's Primer on the Science, Practice, and Auditing of Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry.

By Tuesday, you'll start to see many practical learning sessions discussing more detail on GLP principles, computers & technology, and animal health. 

Many lunch sessions are available during the week, allowing you to easily network with your colleagues. The late afternoon and evening hours have dinners and Happy Hours for more network mingling.

If you're able to stay until Friday, don't miss one of the final lectures on GLP-compliant archiving in your laboratory.

The Event's Keynote Speaker

Each year, SQA picks one keynote speaker as a superstar in the scientific community. This time, it's Collette Carlson speaking about multitasking and how major companies can accomplish it.

As a renowned expert on this subject, she's worked with major conglomerates to help them become better organized. With a master's in human behavior, she's a worthy resource to consult about how to get your laboratory to excel when everything seems overwhelming.

This is just a taste of what's ahead at SQA.

Contact us to find out more information about this event and please don’t forget to stop by our booth!