virtual conference – The Early Career Voice

The Adaptation of Virtual Learning Platforms for Scientific Sessions: A Change Worth Keeping!

December 31, 2020December 28, 2020 Sheila Sahni, MD, FSCAI

It was Sunday, February 23^rd when I boarded my first and last flights of 2020. It was one of those very rare trips where you’re roundtrip would be within 12 hours. Destination: Cardiovascular Research Technologies 2020 meeting in National Harbor, Maryland. Why only a one-day trip? It was all I could swing with my clinical schedule, professional and personal commitments. To be honest, I felt grateful that the requested speaking engagement was on a Sunday relief that saying “yes!” to a meeting wouldn’t disrupt my patient care schedule. Within the span of 7 hours that Sunday, I reviewed my presentation in the Speaker Ready Room, connected with the moderators and other interventional cardiologists on the panel, presented a lecture, reunited unexpectedly with colleagues and mentors, and sat for an interview about my participation. My last encounter was an impromptu meeting with a mentee which began in person and completed by phone as I rushed to catch my flight home to New Jersey just in time for the workweek to begin. The types of jaunts surely sound familiar to many of you. This was the way of many professional cardiologists committed to advancing science, spreading awareness of evidence-based therapies, creating forums for advocacy and networking across of the spectrum of cardiovascular societies and national meetings. This was a commitment we all embraced regardless of the sacrifices. And then, weeks later, the world fundamentally changed.

As coronavirus began to spread worldwide in March 2020, our nation changed dramatically with fear of an invisible enemy – the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The COVID-19 pandemic changed all of our lives as physicians, personally and professionally. Impressively, national societies adapted to an unprecedented time rapidly – the commitment to bridge practice-changing, ground-breaking science to physician offices globally remained its primary mission. Therein birthed the onset of virtual meetings with physicians worldwide participating and engaging in science virtually. As I reflect on my personal experience attending the virtual American Heart Association’s 2020 Scientific Sessions highlights was such a stark contrast to the moment I described earlier in February.

Going into this year’s scientific session, it was clear that this year would look and feel completely different. What was less obvious, however, was the positive impact a virtual meeting had on my learning, engagement, and participation. Despite many technological advancements to facilitate virtual learning, transitioning to this model to create a well-rounded experience necessitated thoughtful consideration of the right ways to optimize learning. While the experience of listening to lectures and symposiums may be easily replicated virtually, the essence of conferences is the moments to engage with colleagues and peers on late breaking research as well as discuss professional challenges. I was particularly impressed with how AHA facilitated fireside chats on Zoom alongside sessions both live and on-demand. The discussion was dynamics – covering a wide array of topics regarding social injustice in healthcare, imposter syndrome, early career advice, and debates in dual-antiplatelet therapy It enabled active participation, optimized learning, and allowed me to consume more content than ever before. A hybrid model can achieve clear cost savings, minimize travel while also maintaining an ideal learning environment to advance evidence-based medicine. By striking this balance, I am optimistic about a future that leverages a hybrid virtual and physical format.

“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.”

Lose the COVID, Keep the Virtual Platform

December 23, 2020December 16, 2020 Shreya Rao, MD, MPH

As we close the chapter on a successful—if different—AHA conference in this pandemic year, and usher in the much-anticipated vaccination phase of the global pandemic, it is worth taking a moment to consider what future science and scientific conferences may gain from the insights of 2020 in the years to come and beyond. As my colleague Mo Al-Khalaf writes in his recent blog, 2020 has been a year of rapid adaptation and innovative solutions, particularly in the development and sharing of medical knowledge and expertise. Consider, for example, that four short weeks ago as we convened virtually for Scientific Sessions, the prospect of the rollout of two highly efficacious vaccines against COVID19 within weeks would’ve seemed so optimistic as to be foolhardy. Indeed, as quickly as COVID changed the reality of daily life, the scientific community changed its practices—for developing and testing therapies, sharing lessons learned from hard-hit regions, and revising journal and conference experiences so as to expand access to information and knowledge. It has been an imperfect process that has at times revealed weaknesses in existing systems, demonstrating for example the value of thorough peer-review in curating research and the bureaucratic roadblocks to rapid maneuvering of healthcare systems to respond to and prepare for surges, and highlighting the individuals and communities routinely excluded from scientific gains.

Nonetheless, the benefits of an at least partly virtual conference experience should not be lost as we tentatively allow ourselves to imagine a post-pandemic world. For starters, virtual conferences in the cardiology world have resulted in higher turnout than seen in prior years, likely due to the reduced costs of participation, ease of access to content, and time flexibility for participation. In fact, the European Society of Cardiology saw attendance increase by nearly four-fold this summer from a previous recent record of about 33,000 professionals representing 150 countries in 2019 to more than 125,000 professionals from 211 countries in 2020.¹ Much of this growth likely represents groups previously disadvantaged when it came to conference participation, including students and trainees whose time and financial restrictions are often more stringent than more advanced stage practitioners, as well as providers with family and caregiving responsibilities for whom travel to distant cities for several days may be an impractical proposition. An online platform offers a degree of anonymity and equalizing of audience members, moreover, encouraging participation in discussion by attendees. One need look only as far as the chat boxes of live events at this year’s Sessions for evidence of strangers—ranging from students to experts—coming together to discuss research methodology and implications. The inclusion of such groups is to the advantage of all in the end, as the value of scientific conferences undoubtedly rests on their ability to reflect the diversity of the field and draw upon the most experiences and broadest audience.

At the same time, virtual formats have resulted in a smaller carbon footprint within the scientific community. Since the pre-pandemic world of 2015, climate change researchers have urged scientific groups to seek innovative ways to convene and share information, recognizing that academic researchers represent a high-emitter group due to frequent air travel for conferences, meetings and fieldwork, and noting the benefits of example setting to strengthen public investment in behavioral change for climate protection.² As conferences in other fields of science experimented with virtual components, the pandemic ultimately forced all of us to embrace a more dramatic adjustment to entirely virtual experiences. Though not perfect—as others have noted, virtual conferences have suffered from a loss of some networking opportunities—this year’s initial experience demonstrates that virtual conferencing is both possible and practical. This will be an invaluable lesson as the existential crisis of climate change increasingly occupies the shared consciousness of society.

Sooner or later, our lives will begin the transition back to something resembling the world before COVID19. This will be for the better, as we again benefit from the experience of human contact and connection but need not come with an erasure of the lessons learned during this challenging year. Future conferencing may indeed benefit from a component in-person participation, but the demonstrated demand for a virtual experience suggests that on-demand lectures and virtual live chats are here to stay, and we will all be the better for it.

References

Figures from ESC Congress.
Quere CL, Capstick S, Corner A, Cutting D, Johnson M, Walker-Springett K, Whitmarsh L and Wood R. Towards a culture of low-carbon research for the 21st century. 2015.

Lurking: The Art of Passive Learning in Meetings

November 18, 2020November 17, 2020 Mo Al-Khalaf, PhD

The types of annual society meetings are as diverse as there are professional societies worldwide. Some medical, scientific, and academic societies are made up of extremely specialized sub-subfields. While other professional societies cast a wide net, bringing in members from different specialties that share some but not a lot of similarities. And of course, there are some associations that have evolved over the years to provide the best of both worlds, acting like a big umbrella for a very diverse membership, and providing space for the subspecialties to find their own niches within the structure of the whole organization. The American Heart Association is exactly this type of professional partner organization. Medical doctors from numerous specialties belong to the AHA, but so do nurses, and many other healthcare professionals, biomedical scientists, and non-medical researchers and professionals involved in fields that still contribute and promote better cardiovascular health for the public.

As an early-career biomedical researcher, I am involved in a number of these types of professional societies and organizations, each of which provides me with different and valuable experiences and opportunities to expand and develop my career path forward. Within the AHA, I slot into the council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences (BCVS), one of sixteen different councils that make up the whole association. One of the best attributes of the AHA general structure is the fact that there are specialty annual meetings organized by the different councils (check out my blog about #BCVS20 from a few months back!), as well as a general annual meeting for the whole AHA community (just like the present ongoing #AHA20). This provides someone like myself the chance to network and builds professional connections on multiple levels. It also provides everyone a chance to expand and learn from other fields, bringing in a true sense of multi-disciplinary potential.

This year, unlike any other year before, Scientific Sessions have converted into a fully virtual setting, an appropriate response to the current Covid-19 pandemic. This has promoted all of us to become much savvier (or at least in a constant state of ‘figuring it all out’) with webcam video conferencing, seminar presenting or attending, and online learning. I’m glad that Sessions this year provided an unparalleled On-Demand package, allowing everyone registered to have access extending into early 2021, giving us plenty of time to rewatch or catch up on missed sessions. This is a very welcome outcome for having a virtual meeting, one that is worth taking full advantage of.

Source: Collage from CC-0 images at www.pixabay.com

Another fun new wrinkle I’ve been fully exploiting these past few days has been the use of a very online strategy called Lurking, a term that describes (in this specific context) joining a presentation session, and passively observing the action happening without actively participating in it. What a perfect way to describe and contextualize something that almost all conference attendees have done in-person before. In a #Virtual meeting, one can employ the lurking ‘maneuver’ even more brazenly! Lurking is a perfect strategy to jump into a session midway, or switch quickly from session to session, picking up some new information, and seamlessly moving on to the next item on the schedule, without ever disturbing any other attendees or presenters. I have definitely done a lot of lurking at #AHA20, especially in sessions that are not geared towards my area of expertise in experimental lab biology. Lurking has given me the ability to try out sessions, and learn something completely unrelated to my everyday science. Lurking also gave me the ability to quickly and discreetly bailout of sessions that I couldn’t find my way into, allowing me to pivot into other sessions that better fit my train of thought. Having the chance to attend a highly multi-disciplinary professional meeting, coupled with the ability to sample and view, in a discreet and un-disturbing fashion, many types of presentations is truly a valuable and welcome learning experience.

When possible, I highly encourage the adoption and wide use of online lurking strategies, especially in virtual setting conferences that may be on your calendars in the near future!

The Impact of COVID on Medical Education

November 18, 2020November 16, 2020 Yehia Saleh, MD

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our lives have been significantly affected on every level. Different countries reacted in various ways and almost everybody was under lockdown at a certain point. With time, everyone has adapted to the new “normal”. Masks are on all the time, no handshakes or hugs, and if anyone gets slightly closer physically, we tend to get extremely uncomfortable. On the professional side, all health care workers were impacted too. At the very beginning, all elective procedures were delayed, there were long working hours, more stress, and a lack of personal protective equipment. Patients who were legitimately sick did not seek medical advice and hospitals were at full capacity. Additionally, didactics were canceled, medical students were asked to stay at home, in-person national and international conferences were canceled, and many more. As a result, training and education were disrupted but the medical community stepped up to the challenge and explored different avenues to ensure steady and proper education for all healthcare workers.

In the past several months, all professional societies (AHA, ACC, ESC, TCT, ASE, and many more) did a phenomenal job in reducing the impact of the pandemic on medical education. All conferences were switched to a virtual platform, different ideas were applied to keep everyone engaged, registration fees were reduced significantly or completely waived. I must point out that now it is possible to attend all national and international conferences from the comfort of your living room, listen and interact with experts in the field, and attend the sessions that you have missed at your convenience. Additionally, for grand rounds and didactics, remote education facilitated learning from experts from all over the world. Although all these efforts helped mitigate the effect of the pandemic on education, however, everyone is still hoping for in-person conferences. Unfortunately, the ESC has decided to deliver its full portfolio of congresses and events virtually up to the ESC Congress in September 2021. Moreover, the ACC annual meeting was pushed back to May 2021 and it is expected to be in-person and virtual. Although recently, promising news about the vaccine has been published however it is unclear for how long will the pandemic last. In my opinion, the COVID pandemic expedited the development of remote education and eventually, it will become a cornerstone in medical education. In the time being, we have to work on overcoming this pandemic without impacting our education and most importantly staying safe.

AHA 2020 Delivers on Virtual Conference Experience

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020 Dapo Iluyomade, MD

As we near the close of the American Heart Association’s 2020 Scientific Sessions, I’d like to reflect on the virtual conference experience. I must admit, despite the high quality research and programming schedule, I was skeptical going into this year’s virtual conference. It was my first (of many?), and I had reservations about the ability of any organization to recreate the live experience that we all love so dearly. Looking back, the AHA put on a phenomenal show, filled with groundbreaking research, high profile panelists and even networking. For this blog, I’m going to focus on the networking, as this was the area that I was most skeptical of. How can you provide ample networking opportunities for clinicians, trainees and vendors when they’re all at home watching? Well, first, let me share the AHA’s plan to tackle this, then I’ll share some examples.

VIDEO: Networking Opportunities at AHA (Don Lloyd-Jones MD and Manesh Patel MD)

The AHA successfully delivered on their promise to fulfill the networking needs of its attendees in the following ways:

AI-powered networking. The AHA brilliantly utilized burgeoning artificial intelligence technology to match like-minded individuals to each other as well as to programming that matched their interests. The AI then facilitated the organization of virtual meetings amongst interest-matched attendees. Wow!

Fireside chats and FIT Virtual Lounge. The AHA continued its focus on providing mentorship to early career cardiologists and trainees. The experience was as engaging, and some would argue more engaging, than the live sessions. The democratization of commentary afforded by virtual communication was evident, as even the most reserved participants were able to ask questions and exchange ideas with established leaders in the field.

Scavenger Hunt. Even the scavenger hunt was preserved! The AHA managed to provide a scavenger hunt experience via QR codes hidden throughout the conference programs for attendees to scan and WIN. This also further cultivated the relationship between the AHA and its industry partners.
In line with its commitment to foster group wellness and health activities, the AHA organized morning yoga, exercise, and mental health sessions for attendees to virtually participate in together. This is a trend that has been popular since the start of the pandemic and hopefully will continue long after COVID-19 is gone.

In conclusion, my AHA 2020 experience has been rewarding in many ways. With quality education and networking opportunities, this year’s conference proved that the AHA is prepared to weather the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to future programming, and will certainly be an active participant.

Making the Most of Virtual AHA 2020: Keeping Focus

November 14, 2020November 17, 2020 Sanjum Sethi, MD, MPH

COVID-19 has dramatically impacted every aspect of our lives. We have been forced to redesign both our work and professional lives to accommodate social distancing efforts to reduce virus transmission. Therefore, the 2020 American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions is a virtual program this year (1). While we will miss the in-person aspects of a big scientific meeting, the virtual format has created new and exciting opportunities for data science communication.

As a virtual program, the information can be streamed directly to the participant’s office and workspaces, thereby broadening the range of potential attendees. Attendance levels, marked by the number of participants registered, have the potential to exceed those able to attend in an in-person format. For instance, earlier this year, the European Society of Cardiology had 116,000 attendees this year (2) versus roughly 35,000 per year in recent years (3). The cost associated with travel can be significant, particularly for early career participants. The time away from home and work may also be a factor for many, particularly those with young families.

However, the same benefit of saving time through diminished travel may also factor in the ability to concentrate while virtually attending the meeting. If a participant maintains the same work and family schedule as normal, these competing commitments may actually diminish the experience as partial immersion may not allow for the same depth and breadth of attention. Another unique quirk may be the competing commitment of another scientific meeting. This was the dilemma that I faced today. Having been invited to speak on COVID-19 and venous thromboembolism for the VEINS meeting (4), I created a two laptop and phone setup this morning to help me navigate both meetings (Figure 1). This “command center” allowed me to simultaneously attend both and participate in those sessions in which I was most interested. While this was a great way to participate, there are limitations in time and attention span. A recent analysis of the American College of Cardiology meeting suggested that a virtual meeting format actually reduced social media engagement compared to the previous year (5).

Given the potential for wider dissemination of data, the virtual format has promised to reach a broader audience across the globe. However, competing commitments and responsibilities may minimize this reach. What can you do to maximize yield from this format and get the most out of AHA Scientific Sessions 2020?

Make time for your education
- It will be impossible to concentrate on the conference if you continue to work a normal work schedule including clinical, research, or administrative responsibilities. Just as you would for the meeting, block time out for the virtual meeting so that you can dedicate your attention and focus appropriately
Plan out your sessions
- The AHA Scientific Sessions has a fantastic web platform that allows for customization with the creation of a personalized schedule (https://eventpilotadmin.com/web/planner.php?id=AHA20). Using this tool in advance can allow a participant to plan out the sessions in which they are most interested and make sure the time is best utilized.
Get Engaged
- The AHA Scientific Sessions has planned networking sessions and satellite sessions every evening between 5-8 pm CST. Take advantage of these opportunities to connect with mentors, answer questions, meet people in your council, and network with other participants
- Follow the relevant posts on social media platforms such as Twitter (@AHAMeetings). There are social media ambassadors and virtual Co-Pilots assigned to each day (Saturday and Sunday for me). Following these accounts can allow you to key into important sessions of interest
Making the Most of Virtual AHA 2020: Keeping Focus
- One of the advantages of a virtual format is that many of the sessions are pre-recorded. This allows for playback at a later time, if necessary. Furthermore, there is tremendous On-Demand Sessions content including many of the top oral abstracts being presented.

Above all, enjoy the convening of minds over the next few days. The energy, innovation, and intelligence are amazing to experience. The AHA program chairs have really created a platform to simulate the best parts of the in-person meeting in this virtual format.

Reference

https://professional.heart.org/es/meetings/scientific-sessions
Enrique Gallego-Colon E, Bonaventura A, Vecchié A, Cannatà A, Martin Fitzpatrick C. Cardiology on the cutting edge: updates from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2020 BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2020 Oct 19;20(1):448.
https://www.escardio.org/Congresses-&-Events/ESC-Congress/About-the-congress/Figures-from-ESC-Congress
https://vivaphysicians.org/veins-programming
Mackenzie G, Gulati M. 20: Impact of social media at the virtual scientific sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clin Cardiol. 2020 Sep;43(9):944-948

Improving Your Experience at a Virtual Conference

November 14, 2020November 17, 2020 Barinder Hansra, MD

2019-2020 AHA FIT & Early Career Bloggers at AHA Scientific Sessions 2019

In 2019, I was fortunate to be an Early Career Blogger for the AHA and attending the scientific sessions in Philadelphia (pictured below). It seems hard to believe that one year later, the same conference is being held exclusively via an online platform. COVID has caused a lot of changes, including the way we strive to provide education and conferences that still have the same impact.

Attending a conference such as AHA can be intimating due to its venue size, the numerous presentations, and navigating your way through the thousands of attendees. I was fortunate to discuss how best to be successful at such a conference and with the transition to an online platform, I want to equip others with a few tools I think will help make the experience enjoyable.

Before

Organize your schedule. With the increased flexibility of attending from the comfort of our own homes, it’s critical to plan ahead to optimize what sessions we want to see. Look ahead and block off your schedule so you can be free of distractions during the sessions.
Prioritize your time. multitasking isn’t very productive and we may have the urge to answer work emails, phone calls, or text with friends. Focus on making the best use of your time during the presentations.

During

Be an active participant. Try to participate beyond listening. I encourage fellows to take notes, ask questions, and get active on social media by using conference hashtags, live chats, and other tools to connect. Several sessions are dedicated to meeting trialists, researchers, and leaders in the community in order to provide the same opportunities as the live conferences did. I believe, it’s critical for us to engage in these sessions.
Build your virtual community. At in-person conferences, the audience normally listen to the speakers and may make small talk in the coffee line. With virtual conferences, we all have the chance to engage in more meaningful ways. By being more actively engaged, you can expand your network and start to potentially collaborate with others in the field.
Take Breaks: It’s important to recognize we can all fatigue from attending back-to-back-to-back sessions. I always make sure I have a snack, water, and time to stretch. Getting up to walk for a few minutes in-between sessions will help keep you fresh and more engaged.

After

Replay. You can easily catch any recorded sessions you may have missed. By being able to watch the sessions later, you can continue to keep the conversation going and continue to expand your network.

There are multiple ways to continue to have an amazing experience at the AHA but participants have to have a few tools to be successful. I believe the above tips are a great pathway to make the most of any virtual conference.

The Year #Virtual became #Reality

November 13, 2020November 17, 2020 Mo Al-Khalaf, PhD

As we inch closer to the end of 2020 (with still a LOT left on the horizon), I’ve tried to take time here and there, to note the type of changes one calendar year has brought on to our greater science community. From my own personal, early career scientist, point of view (keeping in mind not to generalize or overextend my experiences onto others), I see a lot of lessons that scientists and healthcare professionals quickly learned and adopted. In a year where the biggest story worldwide was in fact a medical and scientific topic, it makes sense that we had to accept and innovate as much as we can, to match the needs of the moment we find ourselves in.

The annual conference meetings that our shared professional academic, medical and scientific societies have, are known to be the best conduits for a concentrated infusion of the latest information in our fields. Meetings such as the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions have the added value of connecting colleagues and creating bigger networks of potential collaborators. This has always been an essential element of early career advancement in the fields of science and medicine. Networking sessions in conferences are always the highlight events, more so than the “Current advances in ____ biology” or “Late-breaking outcomes of ___ trial” sessions (or at least as important as those really cool sessions!).

This is why at every conference I virtually attended this year, I looked with great anticipation beforehand to know if networking events are still scheduled? And if so, then how is this essential element of connecting participants and attendees getting the attention it needs? In 2020, not all annual meetings for professional societies were able to be held, it’s not easy to switch gears from a tried and true in-person gathering to a completely #Virtual experience. Some meetings managed to make the switch to the online-based delivery, but had an understandably much-reduced networking and connection elements involved. But as the seasons progressed from spring to summer to fall, I was happy to see continued innovation and application of everything possible, to deliver information and promote interaction, in increasingly impressive state-of-the-art platforms for presenting conferences.

(Collage from CC-0 images at www.pixabay.com)

Another important element now of conference attendance is the increased integration of Social Media as part of the immersive conference experience. Online presence and connection, using platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, between various conference participants and attendees, has been a welcome additional element over the past few years. It’s very useful for someone who wants to catch the talk of a conference presenter when that presenter would tweet where and when the talk is starting, prompting all their “followers” to know exactly where to go, or in a virtual setting, when and which links to click!

Conference organizers have utilized social media accounts to provide vital data such as agendas, video highlights, links, and ways to tag and spotlight the various individuals who are active and participating in these conferences. I would personally recommend Twitter as the best online tool for adding to a conference attendance! Conference “ambassadors”, like myself and many others, as well as representatives from different institutions and committees, are all actively Live-tweeting sessions, providing quick-takes and summary recaps, and initiating discussions on the topics presented in conferences. This virtual way of connecting and interacting in meetings has added an exciting dimension to conference attendance, both in-person and probably even more so this year for virtual meetings, allowing for an extra level of networking, which has always been a core element of attending conferences.

Adaptation and innovation have a lot to say in 2020 – and we’ll see where we go in 2021. But it’s good to know that, even in a virtual setting, we can still learn novel science, connect with one another, and advance the role that our shared community has – Delivering better health to the world.

My Experience at BCVS20

August 12, 2020August 12, 2020 Sasha Prisco, MD, PhD

Thank you to the organizers for putting together a vibrant and informative fully virtual AHA Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions 2020 (BCVS20) conference this year!

While I have attended many meetings and classes virtually this year, BCVS20 was the first major scientific conference that I attended virtually and I did not know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by the many benefits of participating in the meeting virtually but there were many things that I missed about attending meetings in person.

I enjoyed the convenience of being able to work in specific sessions into my usual work week of attending clinic, doing lab experiments, and attending classes and into my personal life. Additionally, I liked being able to watch some sessions in the comfort of my home, sitting next to my dog. Similar to fellow AHA blogger, Dr. Mo Al-Khalaf, I also appreciated being able to easily jump between many live sessions without having to run across a large convention center. Moreover, I felt that it was sometimes easier to pay attention to certain talks without the distraction of being in a crowded area with many simultaneous presentations. I was impressed by the quality of the presenters’ talks and efforts by the participants to stimulate lively discussions.

I did not take time off to attend the meeting and I felt that the week of BCVS20 was extremely busy for me. Although I appreciate the convenience of having a fully virtual meeting, I miss being able to take a short reprieve from some of my usual responsibilities to give my undivided attention to specific sessions. Furthermore, due to my other obligations, I was unable to attend some of the very valuable, live early career sessions. However, the ability to rewatch the BCVS20 sessions (which are available for 90 days after the meeting) will allow me to catch up on many of the sessions that I missed!

While there are many benefits to attending in-person meetings, not least of which is being able to see your friends and colleagues in person, having a virtual meeting allows people throughout the world to conveniently participate in and attend a meeting. I hope that conferences in the future will continue to be a hybrid in-person and virtual format to accommodate everyone’s busy schedules.

For those of you who attended the BCVS20 meeting, don’t forget to provide your feedback on the meeting via the link emailed to you. If you missed registering for the meeting, it is not too late to get access to the recorded sessions. I hope to continue seeing many of you either virtually or in-person during future AHA meetings!

Interviewing a first-time conference attendee

August 11, 2020August 11, 2020 Mo Al-Khalaf, PhD

Conference attendance is a core component of the journey graduate students go on, seeking to advance their knowledge and expand their network within the field of their academic pursuit. This year, unlike any other year before it, some students and early career professionals are experiencing their very first major conference participation and attendance in a virtual setting. The current global pandemic and response to it has forced many major conferences to cancel their planned in-real-life settings, and many have opted to switch these important annual gatherings to a brand new all-virtual format. This of course is a valiant effort to continue providing a platform for networking and sharing knowledge within the community.

While many of us have had the chance in previous years to attend and participate in classic conference formats, I continued to think recently while attending #BCVS20 about how is this unique virtual experience being perceived by the first time major conference attendees? The all-new format and change in typical factors that come into play when one is attending a conference, normally in an unfamiliar location in a city or country, all add up to a very novel introduction to this core component of career advancement. It would be quite illuminating to engage and discuss with a first-time attendee about this experience, and there at #BCVS20, I was lucky to know and have a chance to interview a first-timer to major conference attendance, one who also happens to be my friend and soon-to-be Master’s in Science degree holder, Ms. Supriya Hota (Twitter: @supriyahota28).

Here is a lightly edited version of the interview we conducted on webcam (Zoom meeting!), shortly after the end of the #BCVS20 meeting:

Mo: To start with a big-picture view of the experience, could you tell us how the overall experience was like, after many hours of content, over 4 days of back-to-back sessions, full of novel basic science research?

SH: If I were to summarize my overall experience in three words, it would be: thrilling, fascinating, and inspirational! My colleagues and mentors, including yourself (Blogger note: Happy to be part of the team!) have always told me great things about the AHA conferences, and I must say #BCVS20 was truly one-of-a-kind, even when it was a virtual one this year. Every day of the conference, I was able to feel the energy and enthusiasm right from my small computer screen! #BCVS20 was also a life-changing experience for me because it truly encouraged me to pursue higher education in the field of cardiovascular sciences. So here I am, looking forward to attending more conferences like #BCVS20 and networking with potential supervisors in the near future!

Mo: Focusing on the virtual format for the event, as a first-time attendee for a major international meeting, do you think the setting was adequate and sufficient in meeting your expectations and intentions for attending a meeting like this?

SH: Primarily, my expectation was to get an update of the basic science research that is happening in the field, especially in the area that I study, which focuses on the role of inflammation in heart failure. I also intended to interact with the presenters by asking questions. The virtual format was more than sufficient to meet those intentions. For example, I was able to jump from one concurrent session to the other, so that I didn’t miss a presentation I was interested in. Therefore, I leave #BCVS20 with a substantial amount of information, not only in my research area, but also other areas in the field of cardiovascular science. On top of that, accessing materials and on-line sessions was very convenient via the BCVS Heart Hub. Moreover, I was able to focus on the presentations and take note of the specific details on images or graphs via the virtual format more so than I would’ve been if I had attended the real-life conference, because either I would have been sitting too far from the screen or distracted by attendees leaving or entering the room. Also, the virtual format gave me the courage to ask questions to the presenters, because as a graduate student who is very early in her career, I would have been hesitant to ask a question in a big room full of well-known scientists. Lastly, most of the sessions were on-time, giving everyone the opportunity to discuss the scientific data and personally encourage the presenters via supportive messages in the chat window, like “Looking forward to your presentation”, “Good Luck” and appreciate the presenters’ work by saying “Fascinating work”, “thank-you for sharing your research”, which I don’t think would have been as possible in a real-life conference.

Mo: Conferences usually serve two main advances to folks that attend them, (1) acquire the newest and most cutting-edge knowledge of what’s happening in the field, and (2) expand one’s network of professional connections within the field. Do you think those two components of conference attendance were served well in a virtual format?

SH: I think the program planning committee has done an outstanding job with displaying the newest and most cutting-edge research. The virtual format has fully served this purpose. As for networking, I do not think the virtual format can ever be equal to in-person meetings. Communicating via message chat is not as engaging as face-to-face communication, which, in the virtual format, might also be a limitation to some people for various reasons, (e.g. they might not have a working camera, they don’t feel comfortable engaging with other attendees from home, etc.). Despite these drawbacks of the virtual format, I think the planning committee and the early career committee have made a significant effort in providing networking opportunities to the attendees. At the same time, most attendees have made good use of those opportunities.

Mo: Follow up – Do you think paring and amplifying social media engagement between conference attendees (and organizers) can help with filling-in some of the networking gaps that precipitate by the virtual format compared to in-person meetings?

SH: I am in full support of amplifying social media engagement because it does assist with networking in a convenient way. For example, I saw that many presenters are actively recruiting talented individuals for open positions in their research programs. What would be a faster way to advertise for this position in the scientific community other than social media? I was disappointed every time some principal investigators were not on social media (Twitter). Even though I could tweet exciting facts about their research, I am still unable to engage with them one-on-one and it will not benefit them in return because others cannot follow their research. Therefore, social media, especially Twitter, assists in promoting one’s research to those who were not able to attend the conference and to the rest of the scientific community. I think social media and its ability to privately message individuals fills in a gap as well, because it gives the attendee the comfort and privacy to have a conversation with another attendee, which is not possible in the chat window of a virtual format where hundred others are listening or using the same message chat box.

Mo: Some of the advantages of virtual meetings include ease of access, lower financial commitments, increased diversity of participants and content being shared at those meetings. Would you say these advantages are persuasive enough for you to recommend this experience to another potential first-timer attending a major conference?

SH: I would definitely recommend BCVS to other potential attendees. As mentioned earlier, the two main purposes of conferences are to acquire the newest and most cutting-edge knowledge in the field, and expand one’s network of professional connections, which the #BCVS20 provided to its attendees. In addition, for sure the lower financial commitments and ease of access due to virtual format are persuasive enough for international graduate students like me to attend.

Mo: Any other comments or advice to give to future conference attendees that have a virtual meeting coming up on their calendars?

SH: I would recommend the following to future virtual conference attendees:

Before the start of the conference:

Create your own schedule for the conference, outlining the sessions you will be attending and when you will have breaks (very important! virtual conferences, like in-person meetings, can still be tiring.)
Make sure that your computer is connected to a working camera and microphone and has all the necessary plug-ins and applications installed for you to watch and participate in the online sessions.
Take the time to explore the Home Page from where you will access all the materials, on-line sessions, and on-demand options.

On the days of the conference:

Actively take notes – this prevents you from getting distracted!
Ask questions and/or provide a supportive or appreciative comment on the presenter’s work (that’s the least you can do)
Tweet about the presentation that fascinates you (Don’t forget to mention and follow the presenter!). Try to make your tweet intriguing by stating takeaways and attaching eye-catching scientific diagrams and results from the presenter’s talk, when allowed.

After the conference:

Organize your notes and create a recap or summary to share the valuable knowledge with your team.

Mo: Thank you so much for this illuminating discussion! And I look forward to attending more conferences where we get a chance to chat and share how those experiences translate to our common goal of advancing our professional career journeys.