AHA conferences – The Early Career Voice

A Reaffirmation on Medical Conferences

December 30, 2021December 17, 2021 Devika Aggarwal, MBBS

It is safe to say that AHA Scientific Sessions 2021, conducted virtually from November 13^th to 15^th was a big hit. The ease and flexibility of attending the Sessions from the comfort of my couch made me forget my initial concerns of missing out on the in-person experience. It will be interesting to see how the pandemic, and seeping of Zoom into our lives, change the future of medical conferences. Regardless of time and place, conferences will continue to be an important feature in medicine, especially in a constantly evolving field like cardiology. Here I discuss some of the reasons that drive us to attend medical conferences, and why we should continue to do so.

(Image from Creative Commons)

Present your work

Disseminating your research can be as important as the scientific process itself. Conferences are an excellent forum to present your findings in a timely manner, especially since publication can be a very long-drawn-out process. Presenting abstracts at conferences helps trainees build their CVs to reflect their interests and scholarly work. Although it can be nerve-wracking, presenting at conferences forces you to communicate about your work effectively. Addressing questions from experts and incorporating the feedback received can help with framing the manuscript for publication.

Keep up-to-date with the latest science

Undoubtedly the release of new study data creates the loudest buzz during medical conferences. Audiences gather to witness the release of trials that will influence clinical practice. You have the opportunity to interact with the investigators and address questions relevant to you and your patients. When not in the late-breaking sessions, there are poster/ presentation sessions to attend. You can also learn about the latest innovations from the industry and try your hand at new technologies showcased by vendors.

Get inspired

Even when not presenting, attending scientific conferences is an active process. Reviewing the latest trials and abstracts promotes critical thinking and sparks ideas. You notice the gaps in knowledge and may be inspired to address that in your research. You can learn from others’ successes and mistakes.

Learn/ refresh your knowledge

Medical conferences are a good place to catch up on the existing knowledge and earn CME points. Most conferences have workshops or skills-training sessions incorporated within the schedule. Lectures from distinguished speakers can provide you with a high-level review of a topic. Panel discussions bring together opinions from trainees, established clinicians, and researchers and can give a sense of what the coming years will bring to the field.

Form connections

Networking has become crucial for a career in medicine, whether in academia or private practice. Conferences are arguably the best place to establish and foster contacts with people at different stages of their careers. You have the opportunity to meet experts who you look up to, introduce yourself, and take advice. Your name might stick with potential employers, increasing your chances of landing a position in the future. For trainees, it may translate into gaining lifelong mentors or sponsors. Conferences are also a good place to meet peers, share ideas and experiences, and potentially set up collaborations.

Share the passion

Finally, there is a special joy in nerding along with others who nurture the same passion for medicine as you. People from different countries and at varying stages of their careers are brought together during the conferences. Knowing that there is a whole community of people with similar interests can motivate you for long after the conference is over.

All in all, attendees come out of a conference smarter, inspired, and excited for the next conference.

Below is a list of the upcoming major conferences in Cardiology. Hope to see you there!

“The views, opinions and positions expressed within this blog are those of the author(s) alone and do not represent those of the American Heart Association. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them. The Early Career Voice blog is not intended to provide medical advice or treatment. Only your healthcare provider can provide that. The American Heart Association recommends that you consult your healthcare provider regarding your personal health matters. If you think you are having a heart attack, stroke or another emergency, please call 911 immediately.”

Covering #AHA21 as an Early-Career Blogger

December 23, 2021December 17, 2021 Khairunnisa Semesta, MA

It has been a month after the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2021. Not only was this year my first time attending the conference, but it was also my first time ever covering a scientific meeting as an early career blogger. As a participant in the AHA Early Career and FIT Blogging program, the AHA sponsored my access to the conference and my media pass – so fancy!

My favorite aspect of Scientific Sessions was the balance between basic and translational scientific research. As an early-career PhD scientist who primarily works at the bench, it’s easy to limit myself to the day-to-day routine of basic science work. Attending Scientific Sessions gave me the opportunity to expand my viewpoint: from viewing posters on cellular signal transduction in the morning to attending clinical talks about the latest cardiovascular treatment breakthroughs in the afternoon, the conference really had it all. The opportunity to interact with clinicians and industry partners was particularly meaningful, as it broadens my perspectives on how our basic understanding of human physiology translates into tangible, impactful solutions for patients (check out my coverage of the effectiveness of non-statin therapies in reducing low-density lipoprotein C, the “bad” cholesterol, here). Most importantly, attending sessions on health equity allowed me to reflect on the current challenges of addressing health disparities and informed my research philosophy in my own work.

Being an early career blogger also allows me to network with other early career bloggers on social media (#SciTwitter, anyone?). Due to the diversity of session topics, it was impossible to attend every session. The AHA bloggers’ live tweets and coverage of different conference sessions, however, gave me a pleasant conference experience: if I missed a session, I could read their coverage and check out recorded sessions I might have missed. Beyond the conference, I remain connected to my fellow bloggers on multiple social media platforms, an invaluable opportunity for my own professional development.

The American Heart Association recruits early career bloggers every year for The Early Career Voice, the organization’s platform to amplify the contribution of early career scientists and clinicians. Be sure to apply to the program – we need your insights to shape our conversations on science, mentorship, and professional development!

Keeping a Pulse on Cardiovascular Health: AHA 2021 Scientific Sessions

December 22, 2021December 20, 2021 Michelle Smith

Before I joined the AHA 2021 Scientific Sessions, I was not sure what to expect from this virtual conference. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a pivot towards virtual events and remote discussion. With every virtual event is the concern of a poor audio or internet connection, or less than smooth transitions between speakers which distract from the content. However, the conference lacked these technical faux paus, and was a great experience. There was so much opportunity to learn about emerging research, and hear from leaders in cardiovascular health. The sessions focused on the future, improving health outcomes and preparing early career professionals. There was significant acknowledgement of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health outcomes and disparities, and implications for the future through the lens of cardiovascular health. What stood out was not only the depth of insight among the speakers and transformative research, but the dynamic conversations and presentations.

As a spectator of these sessions, I was struck by the emphasis on career building and the angles in which this can be addressed and improved upon. Utilization of social media and networking were emphasized as methods to both reach the public and support collaboration. Cardiovascular experts and researchers divulged their best methods for moving forward with research and clinical practice.

I was also inspired by the work of award recipients, such as the Distinguished Achievement Awards and the Early Career Abstract Awards. As an individual in my early career, the experience of the recipients encouraged me to explore unique areas of my own research and delve into projects focused on improving clinical care.

Overall, the AHA 2021 Scientific Sessions were informative, intriguing and motivating. I look forward to future AHA conferences and hope that my career will take me on a similar path to the impressive speakers highlighted during the events.

How to Stay Engaged During Virtual AHA Scientific Sessions

November 13, 2020November 13, 2020 Sasha Prisco, MD, PhD

Attending AHA Scientific Sessions is one of the highlights of my year. I was looking forward to visiting Dallas and seeing old and new friends, along with presenting the research projects that I am excited about. Of course, it is difficult to replicate the in-person networking and interactions with friends, colleagues, and collaborators with virtual conferences, but there are many ways to try to improve your experience during AHA20. Dr. Elizabeth Knight (@TheKnightNurse) wrote a great blog about tips for attending virtual meetings.

With a conference the size of AHA20, it is important to find a way to stay engaged in order to maximize the benefits that you can receive from attending the meeting. Below are some suggestions to help you try to stay engaged throughout AHA20:

Follow the #AHA20 hashtag, @AHAMeetings, @AHAScience, @AHAResearch, the AHA20 Virtual CoPilots, and the AHA Social Media Ambassadors (you can find this list at @AHAMeetings and with the hashtag #AHAEarlyCareerBlogger) on Twitter.
Engage and discuss your experience at AHA20 with others. Tweet about the sessions that you are attending and the highlights of the findings. Tag your colleagues, mentors, #AHA20, @AHAMeetings, and some of the Social Media Ambassadors. Also, find some other people (e.g., colleagues in your lab or department) to have more in-depth talks about some of the exciting research you saw.
There is a plethora of great research and science presented during many on-demand sessions. Make a list of all of the programs you want to watch. You can use the AHA Scientific Sessions Online Program Planner (https://professional.heart.org/en/meetings/scientific-sessions/programming) or AHA Conferences mobile app (that can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or Google Play) to mark the sessions that you are interested in. Try to watch some of these sessions over Scientific Sessions and set aside some time the rest of the year to watch the other sessions that you are interested in. You can access the on-demand content until January 4, 2021.
Try to attend all of the live sessions that you are interested in, especially sessions in the FIT/Early Career Lounge and the Interactive Zoom Events. Here are some (but not a comprehensive list of) potential events that may be valuable for early career trainees:

On Friday 11/13:

Women and Leadership: Going from Good to Great (WPD.03) – Fri 11/13 from 10:30-11:30am CST
Racism in Medicine: What Medical Centers & Training Programs Can Do To Be Antiracist (FIT.01) – Fri 11/13 from 12-1pm CST
Prioritizing Self and Wellness During Cardiovascular Training (FIT.05) – Fri 11/13 from 5-5:50pm CST
CVSN (Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing) Research Mentoring Committee Mingle with the Mentors (WPD.05) – Fri 11/13 from 5-6pm CST
Imposter Syndrome – Our Stories (WPD.06) – Fri 11/13 from 5-6pm CST
Young Hearts Early Career Mentoring Roundtable Discussions (ECE.02) – Fri 11/13 from 6-7pm CST
Matching into Cardiology Fellowship: The Inside Scoop From Program Directors & AHA FITs (FIT.06) – Fri 11/13 from 6-7pm CST
Women in Cardiology Meet Up (WPD.07) – Fri 11/13 from 6-7pm CST

On Saturday 11/14:

Cardiovascular Imaging Early Career Roundtable (IM.EC.678) – Sat 11/14 from 5-6pm CST
My First Grant Funding Breakthrough – Tips and Tricks for Early Career Researchers (ECE.03) – Sat 11/14 from 5-5:50pm CST
Fireside Chat: What You Need to Know for a Career in Sports Cardiology (FIT.07) – Sat 11/14 from 5-5:50pm CST
Happy Hour with Distinguished Scientists (HQ.07) – Sat 11/14 from 5-6pm CST
ReSS Young Investigator Networking Event (ReSS.07)– Sat 11/14 from 5-7pm CST
Who’s the perfect mentee? (ECE.04) – Sat 11/14, 6-7pm CST
Fireside Chat: What You Need to Know for a Career in Heart Failure (FIT.08) – Sat 11/14 from 6-7pm CST

On Sunday 11/15:

Speed Mentoring: Meet the Experts in Pulmonary Vascular Disease (PH.EC.694) – Sun 11/15 from 10:30-11:30am CST
How I Did This: Lessons Learned in Developing a Career in Cardiometabolic Health (CM.EC.668) – Sun 11/15 from 12-1pm CST
Tips to Residency Interview Webinar (ECE.05) – Sun 11/15 from 5-5:50pm CST
PVD Council Virtual Networking Session (ECE.06) – Sun 11/15 from 6-7pm CST
Fireside Chat: What You Need to Know for a Career in Interventional (FIT.10) – Sun 11/15 from 6-7pm CST

On Monday 11/16:

Surviving and Thriving in the Early Career Lessons Learned? – Live Zoom Discussion (ECE.07) – Mon 11/16 from 5-5:50pm CST
Fireside Chat: What You Need to Know for a Career in Imaging (FIT.11) – Mon 11/16 from 5-5:50pm CST
Happy Hour with Distinguished Scientists (HQ.09) – Mon 11/16 from 5-6pm CST
Navigating Academic Paths for Women and Minorities Roundtable – ATVB Women’s Leadership Committee (WPD.09) – Mon 11/16 from 5-6pm CST
BCVS Early Career Social Networking (ECE.08) – Mon 11/16 from 6-7pm CST
Fireside Chat: What You Need to Know for a Career in Critical Care (FIT.12) – Mon 11/16 from 6-7pm CST

On Tuesday 11/17:

Developing a Career in Cardiovascular Omics (ECE.09) – Tue 11/17 from 5-5:50pm CST
Fireside Chat: What You Need to Know for a Career in Pediatric Cardiology (FIT.13) – Tue 11/17 from 5-5:50pm CST
Professional & Personal Self-Care (WPD.11) – Tue 11/17 from 5:30-6:30pm CST
ATVB Council Networking Session (ECE.10) – Tue 11/17 from 6-7pm CST
Fireside Chat: What You Need to Know for a Career in Preventive Cardiology(FIT.14) – Tue 11/17 from 6-7pm CST

Looking forward to connecting with you during AHA20!

A Framework for Going to Professional Conferences & Meetings

November 11, 2019November 26, 2019 Mo Al-Khalaf, PhD

During my graduate education years, my understanding and focus on attending conferences was almost exclusively centered on two priorities:

Learning about the science happening in my area of interest, and the surrounding research that can complement and elevate my present projects.
Being able to participate (via poster or a short talk) and deliver a useful and potentially distinguished presentation at the conference.

This is pretty much the default priority list for any grad student – not just in biomedical science, but this accurately applies to all academic fields. In fact I’d argue these are basically all that’s needed and required by students being exposed to academic conferences. Professional meeting events come with relatively steep learning curves when students are first experiencing them. Major conferences are (mostly, but not always) held in cities/towns that attendees don’t reside in, so the difficulty of housing, scheduling food, sleep and even clothing choices all come into play.

Unfamiliar surroundings and temporary changes in daily rhythms can lead to elevated stress levels; an effect called allostatic¹ load, with measurable biological changes previously reported², like elevated cortisol and Interlukin-1β levels measured from human salivary samples. Packed conferences potentially strain mental and emotional health, with the cognitive (over)loading that comes from the equivalent of attending a dozen classes (sessions) back-to-back, then doing it all over again the next day and so on, depending on how long the conference is.

These conference days are as demanding as can be, especially for the lesser experienced graduate students. Thankfully, none of what is mentioned here is presently unknown, denied, or ignored. These days enough writing³ exists, reporting all of these observations, sometimes in scientifically quantifiable⁴ and systematically assessed⁵ studies. Efforts towards counteracting these difficulties are now discussed, advised, and hopefully even the most ambitious and keen grad students are finding ways to mitigate and avoid negative experiences. Being a scientist in the cardiovascular field, I’ll emphasize two quick notes, extremely obvious, but worth highlighting whenever possible:

Physical endurance is an undervalued factor in conference attendance, a lot of calories are getting burned moving from session to session, participating in posters/presentations, meeting people and asking questions – so it’s vital to learn, mind and strategize your conference attendance to best fit your physical endurance status
What you eat matters (always!) and will affect every aspect of your time at the conference (too much/not enough coffee, too much/too little food intake during the conference, healthy vs. unhealthy available options), so again mind and strategize the food/drink variables as part of the overall conference equation.

With repetition and understanding of the general framework of conference proceedings, many of the initial difficulties and trip-ups become learned experiences, allowing attendees to become more comfortable and capable navigators of these unusual few days. This could and does happen sometimes in later grad-school years (senior PhD students, for example), but I’ll focus on the category of attendees that I myself now have become part of the early career professionals and AHA Early Career Blogger. Being in my third year of a postdoctoral fellowship in biomedical research, I’ve been to enough conferences to have a sense of the invisible “skeleton” of conferences. I can identify where the differences between various conferences exist, and where the similarities lie. I’ve learned to gauge how to pack for conferences (if at all possible, avoid checking in luggage! Pack clothing that best represents your professional ambitions. Comfortable shoes are a life saver!), how to navigate the sessions, what to eat and what to avoid. Of course there is no set formula to any of this, trial and error is the most used approach, and sharing experiences can be beneficial (at least that’s my hope in writing this piece!).

I’ll also highlight that for early career professionals, additional priorities/requirements emerge to be added to the original grad-school stage list of goals (namely: learning new information in the field, and fulfilling the level of participation duties offered when registering for the event, like poster or slide presentations). These new aspects are:

Networking, which I’ll define here as establishing professional lines of communication that can be of benefit in building, and maintaining relationships with others to advance professional goals. This is a valuable advanced priority in conference attendance, but I do want to emphasize that it shouldn’t be a requirement within the early stages of conference participation, since at the beginning, conferences can be overwhelming without the additional stress of having to do expert-level professional socializing!
The newest emerging priority I’ve added to my conference attendance efforts is discovering new elements, sufficiently outside the main field you’re involved in, that can enhance and elevate work/career forward. What I mean by that, being a biomedical research scientist, is seeking sessions in the program that address topics not directly related to: Heart Failure, genomic stability, inflammation, and similar keywords that relate to research my group and I work on. The new elements for me include things like: science communication, social media engagement, scientific advocacy, linking scientists to policy makers; and many other examples of topics that exist around health and scientific research but are not necessarily done in a lab or hospital setting.

Conferences, professional meetings, symposiums, and all types of organized events that occur within professional settings are designed to deliver a large impact to the attendees in a short period of time. Maximizing an individual’s professional development from these settings is key, understanding how to do so requires planning, optimization and gained experience from multiple trials. As with everything else in life, it takes one step at a time.

References:

McEwen, Bruce S., and Ilia N. Karatsoreos. “Sleep deprivation and circadian disruption: stress, allostasis, and allostatic load.” Sleep medicine clinics1 (2015): 1-10.
Auer, Brandon J., et al. “Communication and social interaction anxiety enhance interleukin-1 beta and cortisol reactivity during high-stakes public speaking.” Psychoneuroendocrinology94 (2018): 83-90.
Elfering, Achim, and Simone Grebner. “Getting used to academic public speaking: Global self-esteem predicts habituation in blood pressure response to repeated thesis presentations.” Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback2 (2012): 109-120.
Lü, Wei, et al. “Extraversion and cardiovascular responses to recurrent social stress: effect of stress intensity.” International Journal of Psychophysiology131 (2018): 144-151.
Ebrahimi, Omid Vakili, et al. “Psychological interventions for the Fear of Public Speaking: a Meta-analysis.” Frontiers in Psychology10 (2019): 488.

Acknowledgement:

Extended gratitude goes to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Librarian: Sarah Visintini, MLIS for assistance in compiling primary material sources in this article. Twitter @SVisin

The views, opinions and positions expressed within this blog are those of the author(s) alone and do not represent those of the American Heart Association. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them. The Early Career Voice blog is not intended to provide medical advice or treatment. Only your healthcare provider can provide that. The American Heart Association recommends that you consult your healthcare provider regarding your personal health matters. If you think you are having a heart attack, stroke or another emergency, please call 911 immediately.

It’s conference season! Did you pack your inclusive resources?

July 5, 2019July 5, 2019 Christa Trexler, PhD

Summer is in full swing, which means it’s conference season! At every stage of our careers, conferences are essential for our growth as professionals, but these meetings need to be inclusive of everyone attending for them to have the most meaningful impact. Maybe you’ve never had any issues attending a conference and don’t really see why something like this would need to be discussed, in which case, great for you, but I implore you to keep reading!

conference attendees

Photo by Product School on Unsplash

Diversity within our scientific communities is extremely powerful and strengthens the outcomes of our work, however, the structure of our community has traditionally only taken one kind of person into account, which prevents the rest of the members from flourishing. We need to ensure that these critical meetings are inclusive from the planning stages all the way to the actual presentations given on the day. Whether you are planning the meeting, presenting or attending, there are ways we can all work together to make these experiences successful for everyone.

Luckily, other organizations have put together helpful resources focused on this specific topic that we can all benefit from. These are obviously just a few select resources – I urge you to start with these but seek out more.

If you are planning a meeting or symposium, the 500 Women Scientists have created a comprehensive guide to organizing an inclusive meeting that is definitely worth using. It also explains what implicit bias is and why guides like this are necessary. There are also resources for mindful gender pronoun usage as well as ensuring gender neutral restrooms are available.
To make sure that your conference is accessible to disabled people as well, Gabi Serrato Marks published this guide via the Union of Concerned Scientists. What’s great about this How-To is that it’s helpful for organizers, presenters and attendees.
- Google slides and PowerPoint now allows you to automatically add closed captions to your presentation, which automatically increases the accessibility!
Does the conference have reasonable accommodations for lactating scientists? Access to these spaces is critical for those caring for infants while attending the conference – this wonderful guide is a great place for organizers to start as well as for attendees to use to suggest improvements.
Academic conferences also need to be prepared to handle reports of harassment (sexual or otherwise) during the meeting. Does your professional society have a code of conduct for expected behavior and enforcement procedures to handle these issues? If not, the American Geophysical Union, has a great example to suggest for the future.

Conference season should be an exciting time for all scientists/physicians, let’s work together to make sure this becomes the reality.

Small Conferences Are More Worthwhile

May 8, 2019June 11, 2019 John Chen, MD

I ditched the hospital early last Friday and sped over to the Emory Conference Center. There, gray-haired luminaries and neatly combed trainees filled the lobbies with their crisp suits and smart banter. This is the scene of the Emory Practical Intervention Course, with all the pomp of a proper nerd ball. The annual meeting attracts interventional cardiologists from across the Southeast region with live case demonstrations and simulations. But more importantly, it’s an opportunity for old colleagues to reunite, and for young trainees like me to rub shoulders with them. There were academic faculty and community interventionists, and they all seemed to know each other.

The EPIC meeting reminded me of another smaller gathering last November—AHA Resuscitation Science Symposium (ReSS). Tucked away from the massive Scientific Sessions next door, ReSS served a tight circle of investigators studying survival after cardiac arrest. As I showed off my poster on bystander AED use, I was approached by a man with particularly insightful input. A glance at his name tag revealed him to be the author of a manuscript I had cited in my work. Small, intimate meetings foster this type of serendipity. It’s easy for young trainee to feel intimidated or lost in the crowd at a national meeting. That’s why smaller conferences (such as the upcoming AHA Basic Cardiovascular Sciences (BCVS) meeting) can have a bigger payoff.