Surviving the conferences

It is that time of the year when first-year fellows happily pass the baton to the next set of new fellows, graduation draws near for many senior fellows and, of course, “Conference Time.” With major annual meetings such as the American Diabetes Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics around the corner, it is a great time to discuss a game strategy for attending these important conferences.

First, these gatherings are always huge. At last year’s annual meetings, he American Diabetes Association had more 13,000 attendees. This year likely promises similar numbers.

The question is: How do you get the most out of these experiences? It takes planning, willpower, focus and, of course, money. I have outlined some thoughts accumulated over the last several years of attending conferences to help ensure success.

Conference objectives

The first step is to understand the goal: Why are you going?

Whether your abstract was accepted, you were ordered to go by your boss, had leftover travel grant money to burn or just wanted to visit a friend in town, it is important to identify conference goals to shape your approach to conference preparation.

I have narrowed down the list to eight common roles. Realistically, most attendees fit into more than one category. At a recent conference, I attempted to fit all of these roles in one form or another. Which would you best fit?

1. The Presenter: Advancing your work (poster or oral presentation).
2. The Collaborator: Finding project collaborators.
3. The Job Seeker.
4. The Networker: Meeting important people, making connections.
5. The Socialite: Reuniting with friends.
6. The Party Animal/Sightseer: Just here to have fun and enjoy vacation time.
7. The Rep’s Friend: Meeting representatives and learning about products.
8. The Student.

Networking and mingling are a part of your job. It is a small world out there.

Do not miss out on an opportunity to get your name out and exposed (in a good way).

Keep your eyes and ears open — and hope that attendees’ name tags are facing forward. Find attendings you know, and if they are conversing with someone you hope to meet, consider joining the conversation. If you hope to meet someone in particular, ask an attending or mentor to introduce you — and do not forget to bring business cards. It is OK to meet up with friends and acquaintances; however, remember that at any one time, you are likely only a few feet away from a cell phone camera. Overdo it, and prepare to be part of the YouTube “Physicians Gone Wild” edition — forever.

In today’s political climate (considering the new PhRMA guidelines regulating the ethical aspects of interactions with health care professionals), pharmaceutical representatives are not often invited to hospitals, so it is now more important than ever to use these opportunities to speak with representatives and gather information on the newest products and medications.

If you seek employment in the next one to two years, do not underestimate the value of attending a conference and making good connections.

It is not too early to start looking at options. Some meetings offer job fair or job matching services, which may be worth pursuing. Also, recent meetings have featured trainee-directed sessions related to career advancement, job hunting, negotiation skills and practice management. These sessions can be quite valuable, so peruse the schedule so as not to miss these workshops.

Pre-conference tips

Be prepared. Upon setting foot in the hotel or convention center, you are on the clock, so try to learn as much about the meeting program as possible ahead of time. After all, creating an itinerary in advance means less reading of the abstract book the night before and more time with colleagues (or sleeping). Many conferences now have meeting planners online to preview events and create a personalized schedule on the Internet.

Learn something about the host city before traveling because you will likely be spending some time walking the streets or touring. Bringing a map is not a bad idea, if possible (although free tourism maps are almost always available once you are there).

Booking hotel rooms and flights is best done as soon as possible because prices may increase if you wait, and flight possibilities and hotel choices certainly will dwindle. Over the years, I never seem to learn this lesson well enough. Staying physically close to the conference site is helpful, too (as long as you can afford it).

Show time

Now that you are finally at the conference, here are some of my favorite survival tips:

• Have a buddy (or a few) ready on speed-dial. Conferences can quickly become intimidating and exhausting. Having a friend close by can help salvage your sanity. They may also have a good idea for a lunch or coffee break, or may even be at a useful lecture that you could join.
• Pacing yourself is important, as with any marathon, so leave room in your schedule. Sure, take advantage of meal times to meet and socialize, but there is no disgrace in just taking a few minutes to simply go for walk around the block or a leisurely stroll through the exhibitor areas.
• Keep all receipts. Travel grants often require such records, and it is easier to collect receipts at the time rather than scurrying around afterward to gather the correct documents and billing statements.

Attending conferences is a necessary evil and an exciting event that marks our calendars, but there is a lot that these meetings can offer. Getting the most out of it takes some work but can pay off handsomely with new clinical pearls, research leads, new collaborations, lifelong friendships and, perhaps, even a new job. Just make sure to survive the stampede.

Justin A. Indyk, MD, PhD, is a Pediatric Endocrinology Fellow at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.