At the 2026 AAAAI Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, we led a three-hour Problem-Based Learning (PBL) session centered on a challenging—and very familiar—clinical scenario: a child with a chronic, unexplained cough.
Ray presented the case on Friday morning, guiding a highly engaged group of participants through the discussion. As is often the case with PBL, the real value came from the shared thinking—clinicians exchanging perspectives, questioning assumptions, and working together toward a thoughtful clinical approach.
Following the case, a series of focused lectures added depth and clarity:
- Dr. Meera Gupta discussed the differential diagnosis of chronic cough in children, outlining how to navigate a broad range of potential causes.
- Dr. Leonard Bacharier reviewed therapeutic options, helping translate diagnosis into practical treatment strategies.
- Don concluded with a session on shared decision-making, emphasizing how to effectively communicate with parents and involve them in care decisions.
We closed with a Q&A session that brought the discussion full circle—connecting key insights back to the case and reinforcing practical takeaways.
This session was a strong example of what we’ve seen repeatedly. When PBL is paired with targeted, high-quality lectures, the result is a learning experience that is both interactive and immediately applicable.
