Real journalism means a commitment that spans years. Only by knowing what has gone on over a period of time can one place isolated events in context. This means doing the research, having your thoughts challenged, carefully reading the med journal articles, listening (not just talking) to the experts, listening (not just talking) to the parents. Both groups are well-represented at the conference. I find myself doing a lot of listening.

There is a post-lunch poster session. One in particular jumps out and hits me in the face. Joan Luby MD of Washington University in St Louis has been tracking a fairly large population of kids ages four to six. This is a considerably younger group of kids than in virtually all other pediatric population studies, so any findings are going to be highly significant. Her poster reports that the bipolar kids in her study are way more depressed than the unipolar kids. We swap business cards. I’m definitely going to follow up on this.

The conference wraps up, and I hop on the Metro for dinner in town with one of my “bipolar mafia” and more picking each other’s brains. It’s past midnight by the time I get back to my hotel.

One more thing is on my plate for today, but first I need to pack my bags. I have a very long day ahead of me