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Why doctors really love international conferences.
- Josh P Cullimore (28 June 2008)
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Foreign travel and climate change: a solution
- Allan Withnell, - (29 June 2008)
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International conferences essential
- David J Brookman (29 June 2008)
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International Conference: A platform to up date knowledge in respective profession.
- Virendra S Ligade, D.Sreedhar, Manthan.J, N.Udupa (30 June 2008)
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Tourism
- Hugh Mann (1 July 2008)
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Education and inspiration: forgotten benefits of international conferences
- Gabriele Pollara (1 July 2008)
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Unaffordable Luxury, yes
- Cristina Verdaguer (8 July 2008)
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Luminous Luxury
- Dr. Samiran Adhikari, MBBS, MD, Dr. Rashmi Kotian, Dr. Gurunath Chavan, Dr. Shirley Dsouza (20 July 2009)
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Josh P Cullimore, Foundation Year 1 Doctor Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford, DA2 8DA
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Although I broadly agree with Malcolm Green's suggestions for the reasons doctors attend international conferences, I feel that he has politely under- emphasised one key aspect: that they are free holidays with the added benefit of boosting one's sense of professional status. Hospital medicine is rarely as glamorous as depicted in hospital dramas, so many under-appreciated doctors jump at the chance to advertise themselves as successful professionals leading jet-setting lifestyles, rather than the more prosaic reality of being health service providers in a District General Hospital. Conferences are a legitimate reason to take time off work, and after throwing in free dinners and alcohol by a drug company, what mere mortals could refuse? It is this culture that has to change if doctors are to limit their aviation- related carbon footprint. Rather than generating awestruck respect, the announcement that a doctor is flying off to yet another conference in New York should be a cause for shame. If a person's sense of status could be linked to the sustainability of their lifestyle, doctors would soon shun the concept of attending international conferences in person, or would take less environmentally damaging forms of transport. Unfortunately, when I took a train from London to Barcelona for a recent conference, this news was met with bafflement rather than respect from most of my colleagues, so I fear we have some considerable work ahead of us in changing these attitudes. Competing interests: None declared |
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Allan Withnell, Retired -, -
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Methane is some twenty times more effective in trapping heat than carbon dioxide and it remains in the atmosphere for ten to fifteen years. Nitrous oxide is present in the atmosphere in extremely small amounts but it is some three hundred times more effective than carbon dioxide in trapping heat and remains in the atmosphere for over a hundred years. Methane is emitted from enteric fermentation in cattle, and nitrous oxide is emitted from manure, particularly when spread on land. In 2006 the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations published a comprehensive report on environmental issues entitled Livestock’s Long Shadow. The report concluded that the impact of the livestock industry on global warming was greater that all forms of transport worldwide, including flying. An annual conference overseas and an annual foreign holiday anywhere in the world is more than offset by abandoning permanently the consumption of meat and dairy and, moreover, the dietary change is likely to result in a longer and healthier life. Competing interests: None declared |
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David J Brookman, Remote rural locum Brewarrina, outback NSW, Australia
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I know it is difficult for urban practitioners in highly industrialised countries to comprehend but there are practitioners working in isolation in very remote parts of the world and they need professional contact, face to face networking at national and international conferences. It is this contact that keeps them sane. Adopting a hair shirt policy to international conferences is both naiive and arrogant. Cross cultural medical professional fertilisation is also essential for practitioners in those countries where professional ethics may conflict with the dominant political ethos. Online 'conferences' are didactic and not conducive to adaption to cultural and social differences that are inevitable between countries and regions within countries. If practitioners are struck with guilt then don't attend, or as you are in the UK, take your bicycle on the chunnel and cycle to to the conference - all opinions are welcome. Competing interests: None declared |
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Virendra S Ligade, lecturer Manipal, 576104, D.Sreedhar, Manthan.J, N.Udupa
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International Conferences are invaluable sources of experience when dealing with new Science, technology and issues that arise in the profession. In international conference the group of peers come together to discuss the issues related to the theme of conference. Learning is changing as new technology is playing important role in respective profession. The distinguished panels of keynote speakers, the experienced and knowledgeable resources persons highlight the recent advances made in respective fields. Listening to presentations will inform you of what others are doing, which may inspire research ideas of your own, and will expose you to different styles of presentation. Even we get a chance to interact with the authors of various published papers which we've read usually for standard reference. One can start to build relationships with other researchers in different countries in the respective field, also we can tell people what we are doing and to find out what they are doing, and to find out that you're at least as smart and good as many of those researchers. By attending international conference one may get an international perspective to the respective research work. Competing interests: None declared |
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Hugh Mann, Physician Eagle Rock, MO 65641 USA
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Tourism bridges the divide between yourism and ourism. Competing interests: None declared |
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Gabriele Pollara, Academic FY2 doctor University College Hospital, 235 Euston Road, London NW1 2BU
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There is undoubtedly an excess number of conferences dispersed around the world on overlapping topics. Attendance to all is unlikely to be of incremental educational value, and will rightly generate an unnecessary carbon footprint. However, the UK has recently invested heavily in developing academic career tracks in order to retain and recruit doctors into academia (1), and neither of the head to head articles (2,3) have discussed the benefits that attending appropriate international conferences has on more junior doctors and scientists. Observing leaders in their respective fields deliver keynote speeches can be both inspiring and educational. A videoconference would be unable to generate the same kind of energy and debate from presentation of novel data. Furthermore, conference timetables often provide significant time to poster sessions and presentations, when more junior members have the opportunity to pitch their findings directly to leaders in the field. The preparation for such an event, as well as being able to answer questions in such a public setting can not only be character building, but also provides a unique shop window for future talent. Discussions and collaborations with colleagues who may have unexpectedly overlapping interests are some of the many positive outcomes of these occasions. One wonders whether as much dedicated attention by a wide range of individuals would be given to short presentations transmitted on a TV screen. Thus, more active, face-to-face participation at international conferences from all parties remains critical in order to retain and inspire young academics. (1) Medically and dentally qualified academic staff: recommendations for training the researchers and educators of the future, Report of the Academic Careers Sub-Committee of Modernising Medical Careers and the UK Clinical Research Collaboration March 2005 (2) Green M. Are international medical conferences an outdated luxury the planet can't afford? Yes. BMJ 2008; 336(7659):1466. (3) Drife JO. Are international medical conferences an outdated luxury the planet can't afford? No. BMJ 2008; 336(7659):1467. Competing interests: None declared |
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Cristina Verdaguer, Nephrologist Montevideo, Uruguay. South America
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My comment is from a very different point of view but I think many doctors will agree with that. Coming from a developing country in South America it is almost unaffordable going to International Conferences at all unless the cost are paid by drug companies. It implies that almost always the same doctors who are likely to have the higher positions are the ones who can attend conferences abroad. This has nothing to do with saving the planet but it is unfair to the ones who do not have the money to travel abroad and cannot experience these conferences "in the flesh". I think it would be very important for all doctors to share experiences with colleagues from other countries from time to time. But, this kind of events are not always the best way to meet other doctors or exchange information. In general, this events are very crowded and the people are busy and running from one room to another. That is why I find it very useful that many journals or scientifics sites post congress conferences (recorded or videotaped) that everyone (by paying an affordable fee) can listen to or watch what is new in Medicine and to keep you updated. Competing interests: None declared |
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Dr. Samiran Adhikari, MBBS, MD, Medical Advisor, Doctor SUN Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, ACME Plaza, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400059, Dr. Rashmi Kotian, Dr. Gurunath Chavan, Dr. Shirley Dsouza
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To the Editor, International conferences are connecting people from various corners of the World. One of the major attractions is the opportunity of meeting people and sharing of ideas. It is true that we have now technology (audio & video link) at hand to connect people but the quality that is available in India is far from replacing the advantages of meeting people face-to-face. Recently, we witnessed a few video conferences linking India with USA and UK. But the same group of speakers were much more effective in face-to-face interactions while they were speaking in India as guest speakers. We are sure that the same condition is prevailing in many countries. We are experiencing a change (promise of technology) and we are excited about the possibility but let us not create a bubble but see the current state from the angles of various factors that drive the wheel of change. Can we conduct a live interactive scientific session connecting people from various time zones? The answer is yes but not comfortable for people with huge gap between their time zones. Maybe, in near future, we will have the ability (data transmission at a cheaper price) and network capability (hardware and software connecting people effectively and effortlessly) from all corners with life like pictures and clarity without any delay between audio and video signal) but even then, we can’t replace the magic of face-to-face interaction. Therefore, international conferences, when utilized properly, are not luxury but a necessity to exchange, foster ideas and experiences for a better tomorrow. Competing interests: None declared |
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