BCS Annual Conference - By Dr. Sophie Gu

I would like to express my gratitude to the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) for supporting my attendance to the BCS 2018 conference in Manchester. I am one of the NIHR Academic Clinical Fellows (ACF) in cardiology at Newcastle University. In addition to my clinical commitments as a cardiology trainee, I am involved in clinical research in older frail people with cardiovascular diseases.

The BCS Annual Conference is a highlight in the cardiology calendar, and a great source of education and update on the latest guidelines and research development of the year.

Highlights
This year’s highlights included the opening lecture on ‘A high performing team’ by Dr Doug Gurr from Amazon UK, as well as the Thomas Lewis Lecture on ‘Evaluating stable chest pain patients: evolving evidence for precision testing’ by Professor Pamela Douglas from Duke University USA.

As a trainee, I always find the simulation training sessions very helpful, especially on procedures that are rarely performed (e.g. pericardiocentesis). I also attended training in myocardial perfusion scan in the imaging village, which I found particularly informative and helpful to fill in gaps in knowledge and experience. The Young Investigators Award Competition is another inspiring session to attend for trainees who are interested in research.

Poster Moderation
I presented a poster on Wednesday 6^th June at the moderated Acute Coronary Syndrome poster session. This is moderated by 2 allocated discussants selected by the BCS, and involved a short 5-10 minute presentation followed by questions from the audience. I always find this a good learning opportunity, and am grateful for the feedback I received.

In conclusion, attending BCS Annual Conference has given me the opportunity to learn from the leading experts in their field, and to network and exchange ideas with others. I am grateful to the BCS for supporting me to attend and to share my study findings with colleagues.

Information on how BCS members can apply for support to attend conferences can be found on the Travel Bursaries page