AMIA 2025 'Packing List'

..by AMIA Student and Trainee Working Group (STWG)

This guide can help you plan your time and network with purpose at AMIA 2025. We can't pack for you, but advise wearing comfortable shoes and bringing layers for arctic-to-desert room temperatures changes. Mints, masks, and hand sanitizer are always a good idea, too.

Planning your time at AMIA

There is always too much happening at the same time at AMIA! It's very easy to be unsure where to go or how to spend your time. That's why you need a plan...

Make a schedule. 

Download the AMIA conference app (ios and android), check out the full program online, or peruse the program book you get at registration.

• Block off times when you're presenting, plan to arrive a little early so you're prepared.

• Highlight the sessions you might want to attend. Star interesting sessions in the conference app, add them to your calendar,(reminders are great) or go old school by making a list in a note book. Note start time and room numbers.

• Consider finding 2-3 panels or scientific sessions you might find interesting during each time slot (one might be less engaging that you imagined)

Remember to take a break. 

Some days go from 7am to 9:30pm. Self care is important to getting the most out of AMIA, which can mean taking a break.

• Take a long lunch, take a nap, take a walk outside to a coffee shop far away.

• Remember you need to eat something that isn't coffee. We keep snacks with us like a granola bar or halloween candy, to keep our energy between meals.

• Don't fall asleep during a presentation. There are comfortable chairs in the hotel lobby and a low-sensory quiet room.

• Carry a charger for your phone/laptop/whatever. AMIA Student Lounge has power strips and granola bars. You're not the only thing running out of power!!

• Check out our local map of cafes and restaurants here:

Networking at AMIA

The most important resource at the conference are all the people! Networking is a process of meeting those people to understand how you can inform each other..

Plan to network

Go to receptions, coffee breaks, and poster sessions then introduce yourself to someone you don't know. Working group meetings and workshops are great to meet others with similar interests. Great scientific conversations often happen in a hallway, not a lectern.

• Attend a STWG Meet and Greet session at the AMIA Student Lounge.

• Join the STWG Slack Channel to keep up with fun chatter. Share what excites you. At the very least we will tell you where the free food is and remind you to eat.

• Sign up for a mentoring session. E2R Mentoring Circles and ACMI Speed Networking want more students to participate. 

• We highly encourage attending working group meetings.

Explore our high-impact networking tips

Designed specifically for health informatics and clinical informatics trainees who are eager to connect, find mentorship, and build lasting collaborations. Whether you’re preparing your elevator pitch, approaching new contacts, or following up with mentors, these print-ready guides will help you make a memorable impression and grow your professional network.

Each resource is inspired by best practices and enriched by insights from accomplished clinical informaticians and AMIA leadership—ensuring you’re learning directly from the field’s most trusted voices.

Prepare to share your contact information

Bring business cards or a QR code to your LinkedIn profile. Keep track of the people you meet in a notebook or your phone's notes app.