Ep 274 - What medical conferences offer in 2025 (and how they’ve changed)

Episode summary

• Why in‑person conferences still matter in a post‑COVID world.

• What formats work now: short talks, interviews, demos, strong hosting.

• How to turn “a great day out” into Monday‑morning change.

Guests

• David Carr — EM physician (Toronto). Leads the Annual Update in EM at Whistler. Focus: inclusive, high‑energy, “hard‑core EM” content.

• Haney Mallemat — EM & Critical Care (South Jersey/Philadelphia). Founder of ResusX; designs short, high‑engagement sessions that feel like live conversations.

Key themes

• Why travel when content is online?
  Being in the room changes attention, reflection, and recall. Learning happens in corridors, evening sessions, and next‑day conversations.

• From lectures to experiences.
  Shift to shorter talks, couch discussions, live demos, and deliberate hosting. Format follows audience and venue.

• Programme design starts with the audience.
  Build for how people learn now. Coach faculty. Pick speakers for delivery and credibility.

• Strong hosting is part of pedagogy.
  Good chairs manage flow, time, and psychological safety so the audience can relax and learn.

• Social learning drives change.
  Purposeful social time and small‑group evening sessions create the “stickiness” that leads to projects and practice updates.

Practical takeaways for clinicians

• Arrive with intent: bring 1–2 real patient problems to solve.

• Choose your format: prioritise short talks, interviews, and hands‑on if your attention is fragmented.

• Make it stick on Monday: debrief with a colleague, write one practice change, set a review date. Present a short “what I learned” to your team.

• Borrow authority wisely: take clear, referenced points (e.g., contrast allergy/nephropathy policies) back to local committees.

Practical takeaways for organisers

• Audience first: define who you serve; let that drive length, tone, and format.

• Shorten and vary: fewer bullet‑heavy lectures; more interviews, panels, and no‑slide formats when it helps educators shine.

• Coach and curate: select speakers for content and delivery; build a pipeline for new voices.

• Invest in hosting: treat chairs as educators; they safeguard pacing, transitions, and safety.

• Design the socials: plan purposeful evening micro‑teaching and cross‑disciplinary meet‑ups.

• Measure impact: mandate feedback tied to CPD; analyse themes and close the loop next year.

Risks and tensions

• Edutainment vs evidence: keep the energy without losing rigour.

• Access and equity: budgets, visas, disability, and caring responsibilities exclude many; amplify content post‑event.

• “Too innovative?” Novel formats can struggle with recognition and funding; meet audiences halfway and iterate.

How conferences translate to patient care

• Prioritise topics that solve common bottlenecks.

• Put change agents on stage with take‑home resources (e.g., clear radiology guidance on contrast “allergy” and nephropathy).

• Encourage attendees to form local groups to implement one change within two weeks.