This year, I had the good fortune of attending the annual Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS) Regulatory Convergence in Baltimore, MD. Being my first Regulatory Convergence, I was excited and unsure of what to expect. As I walked into the massive convention center near the Inner Harbor, I was taken aback by the amount of attendees. I didn’t know where to begin.
This event was truly a convergence, a meeting of the minds, where regulatory professionals with very impressive pedigrees provided interactive sessions covering a host of current regulatory issues.
Having a legal background, I attended the session on “Common Challenges Facing Lawyers in our Globalized Medical Products Industry.” The seasoned attorneys on the panel led an interesting discussion about the necessity of communication between regulatory and legal departments within a company andthe need to 
anticipate potential issues and addressing them proactively instead of reactively.
I found the session about the Ebola Vaccine Development Response to be fascinating. I felt compelled to sit in on this session, as I live less than a mile from NIH and was watching the helicopter that transported the first Ebola patient to the NIH facilities from my front porch. It was truly amazing to hear how the various agencies came together to execute the approval of the life-saving treatment in such an expedited fashion.
Between the well-executed, informative sessions, the impressive exhibit hall, and the welcoming and friendly nature of the attendees, the 2015 RAPS Convergence did not disappoint. I look forward to attending future RAPS events.
