Mission of NEAR

The New England Anesthesia Residents (NEAR) Conference was established in 2007 through the collaboration of MSA President Mark D. Hershey, MD, and Stephen O. Heard, MD, Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Conceived as a regional, resident-centered forum, the inaugural meeting took place on April 7, 2007, at UMass and set the foundation for what would become a longstanding academic tradition. 

Since its inception, the NEAR Conference has been held annually, originally each spring, rotating among leading New England training institutions including Dartmouth Hitchcock, Tufts Medical Center, Boston Medical Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the University of Vermont, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. This rotating structure fosters broad institutional collaboration while ensuring that each host program plays an active role in shaping the conference experience. 

Guided by the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists’ Committee on Anesthesiology Students and Trainees (COAST), NEAR has evolved into a well-supported and highly anticipated regional event. The COVID-19 public health emergency briefly interrupted in-person gatherings; however, the conference returned with renewed energy on September 14, 2024, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and has continued each fall since. 

Today, the NEAR Conference stands as a dynamic, fully resident-led, and resident-focused meeting that consistently draws strong participation from trainees and faculty across the region. It serves not only as a platform for scholarly exchange, but also as a catalyst for building professional networks, fostering mentorship, and deepening engagement within the field of anesthesiology. By bringing together a diverse community of trainees in a collaborative academic environment, NEAR continues to inspire curiosity, elevate scholarship, and strengthen the future of the specialty.