What is a medical congress?
A medical congress is a large, annual meeting within the life science industry where health care professionals and drug and device developers exchange learnings and research. It is a multi-day medical event with a range of session types offered to a diverse group of attendees. Post-pandemic, organizers are adapting with new virtual capabilities, too. Medicine is a profession at the cutting edge of science. Practically, every single day some new innovation comes to fore, some new path-breaking study is published, and some new guideline is released. It is very difficult for a busy practitioner to be updated with what is going on. Thus, physicians need to update themselves frequently to accommodate the radical changes: advent of new technologies, changes in health care delivery, changing demographics and patterns of diseases.
Why do we attend medical conferences?
- To update on recent advances, develop a new skill, gain deeper knowledge
- Professional networking
- To meet old friends
- To spend quality time with colleagues and family
- Entertainment
What makes a medical congress so valuable to attendees?
The main sponsors of these events are pharmaceutical companies that also find new doctors to attract them working together. Another intriguing aspect of the events are live operations, which show newly developed practices and spark flaming discussions between the professionals. There is a direct connection from the hospital room where the operation is held and the panelists outside, which makes the congress even more relevant and helpful for the attendees. Not only, do they exchange information that way, but also exchange practical knowledge.
A medical congress provides a unique opportunity, too, for people to establish themselves and build their reputations as opinion leaders, as they meet and exchange ideas with other key global stakeholders. And while these events are valued for the opportunity of face-to-face interaction to build relationships with all kinds of different people, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a change in how medical congresses connect people. While some of these changes will endure, others will evolve as life science organizations navigate the ongoing global health crisis.
Medical congresses were primarily in-person events until digital technology permitted some sessions to be held virtually, providing a hybrid option for attendees. With the arrival of COVID-19, though, many organizers chose to either postpone or hold the congresses exclusively as virtual events. Though initially challenged by the lack of personal interaction, many of these health care professionals said they expect medical congresses to be live-virtual hybrids from now on. This aligns with the overall shift in how many industries will present formerly in-person events and meetings as people become more selective about when and how often they will travel.
Attending a medical conference can leave a positive impact on your medical career for many years to come. Not only can you find many networking opportunities, but you can also achieve certain business objectives while learning with peers who have similar interests. The most important thing to have as a medical professional is an open mind. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to learn new things and find additional networking resources for your practice.
