Anastasia “Stacy” Fischer, M.D., FACSM, was installed as president of ACSM during last month’s annual meeting in San Diego. SMB editor Lenny Kaminsky, Ph.D., FACSM, asked Dr. Fischer several questions that may be of interest to ACSM members. We appreciate Dr. Fischer taking the time to provide the following answers.
Q: What can you say about ACSM’s annual meeting, the first in-person gathering of members since 2019?
A: The energy at the annual meeting was exhilarating! More than 4,000 friends and colleagues from around the world gathered in the lovely San Diego bayfront to enjoy premier science and discovery in the field of exercise science and medicine. The meeting ran smoothly and efficiently, the speakers were fantastic, and members enjoyed introductions and reunions alike. We were also able to provide a virtual meeting for those not able to attend, which has recently launched.
A: What particular challenges do you see ahead during your year as president of ACSM?
Q: ACSM continues to promote learning and member engagement during this post-COVID-19 era. We have members around the United States and world who are unable to travel for educational opportunities, so we continue to improve our website and online educational activities to meet their needs.
Q: What is your vision of what you hope to accomplish as president of ACSM? If this has changed in any way from the statement you expressed as a candidate for the position, explain why.
A: As chair of the program committee for the 2022 annual meeting, I was already able to accomplish some of my goals of celebrating Title IX and shining a spotlight on early childhood physical activity and wellness. Dr. Mary Lloyd Ireland gave an incredible D.B. Dill Historical Lecture at our annual meeting entitled “50 Years of Title IX: View through the Eyes of Athlete Turned Orthopaedic Surgeon,” where we learned how Title IX impacted Dr. Ireland and created the environment that many of us grew up in athletically and professionally. Dr. Karin Pfeiffer delivered the Joseph B. Wolffe Memorial Lecture entitled “The ABCs of Movement in Early Childhood: Building Blocks for Lifetime Physical Activity,” a fantastic lecture teaching us the importance of encouraging physical activity and play in our children, and how it helps to set them up for wellness for life.
I plan to continue to use my year to encourage all members to learn, research and provide good care to the youngest in our communities — and of course, spend the rest of 2022 celebrating Title IX!
Q: Is there anything else that you would like to share with your fellow ACSM members?
A: A sincere thank-you to all of our members who were able to make this year’s annual meeting a huge success both in person and virtually. Your continued engagement makes the college a great place to learn, grow, discover and make friends for life.
ACSM President Anastasia Fischer, MD, FACSM, is a member of the Division of Sports Medicine in the Section of Ambulatory Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Fischer obtained a master’s degree in exercise physiology at the University of Georgia before attending medical school at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She then completed a family practice residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a primary care sports medicine fellowship at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine.
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