We’re excited to welcome our dynamic plenary speakers to the stage in San Diego! You won’t want to miss this line-up of exceptional thought-leaders, each with something special to share with our PM&R community.
Opening Plenary and Presidential Address - Thursday, November 7
D.J. Kennedy, MD, FAAPMR, AAPM&R President
Will Flanary, MD (aka Dr. Glaucomflecken) 
Wife & Death & Comedy
AAPM&R President Dr. D.J. Kennedy will officially launch #AAPMR24 and welcome attendees. Then, we'll hear from Will Flanary, MD, who is an ophthalmologist and comedian who moonlights in
his free time as “Dr. Glaucomflecken,” a social media personality who
creates medical-themed comedy shorts to an audience of more than five
million across social media. His humor has been shaped by the challenges
of medical training and by his experiences as a patient. Will is a
two-time testicular cancer survivor as well as a survivor of cardiac
arrest, saved by his intrepid wife and her timely CPR. Initially used as
a creative outlet to cope with these health challenges, Will’s comedy
has evolved over time to incorporate biting satire of the U.S.
healthcare system, academic publishing and interpersonal conflicts
pervasive in the medical system. He is a frequent keynote speaker who
encourages medical audiences to embrace humor in everyday life. Learn more at glaucomflecken.com.
Plenary Session - Friday, November 8
Josh Sundquist
One More Thing, One More Time
Josh Sundquist is a Paralympic ski racer and bestselling author who has been featured in The New York Times, CNN and Forbes and has spoken across the world. His high-octane blend of energy and humor inspires organizations and individuals to adopt his ski racing motto, 1MT1MT (one more thing, one more time) as their new standard of excellence. Josh shares stories about losing his leg to cancer, ski racing in the Paralympics and playing jokes with his artificial leg to impart motivation for overcoming adversity and reaching peak performance. Learn more at joshsundquist.com.
Fifty-Sixth Walter J. Zeiter Lecture and Awards Video Presentation - Saturday, November 9
Beth Frates, MD
Lifestyle Medicine for Patients and Providers 
Elizabeth (Beth) Pegg Frates, MD is a pioneer in Lifestyle Medicine education and an award-winning teacher at Harvard. She currently works with patients to help them adopt and sustain healthy habits. Dr. Frates developed the concept of a Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group (LMIG) for medical schools that do not currently offer a course on Lifestyle Medicine and has been successfully running an LMIG at Harvard Medical School since 2008. Immediately following the Academy's recognition of AAPM&R and Foundation for PM&R Award winners, Dr. Frates will explain the six pillars of lifestyle medicine and describe the guidelines as well as the research supporting each one. Learn more at bethfratesmd.com.
Hot Breakfast and Closing Plenary Session ft. PhyzTalks - Sunday, November 10
We’re putting members front and center at the Annual Assembly. Join us for a hot buffet breakfast and hear our PhyzTalk finalists share their unique and inspirational stories.