Our work in academic medicine takes place in communities: we are a community of health care providers that serves our surrounding community of patients; we are a community of medical educators, collaborating with our learners and with allied health professionals across the continuum of education and training; and we are all part of the global medical community with its increasingly complex needs. We look forward to the collaboration of the WGEA/WGSA/WOSR community at the 2012 Western Regional Conference at Asilomar to share ideas and present innovations. We will discuss new ideas for teaching and learning, and we'll offer fresh perspectives on the many ways we can harness the potential of our interconnected communities.