Original Article Written and Published by Anoop Prathapan on the 31st of December 2023.
A “delegate” in medical conference terminology is nothing but a glorified listener who is only expected to “sit back, listen or sleep, eat and leave”. They play no role in that event. To facilitate the glorified listener to sit and listen, or maybe to just attend, they are provided with a bag, a couple of pens, a writing pad and a few other compliments depending on who sponsors the show. In return, they sit, watch, sleep, eat and leave. Some of them desperate enough to make their presence felt, ask some questions to the speaker. Who doesn't have access to Google on their smartphones these days to frame a quick question? As far as the "delegates” are concerned it is just another social gathering of medical professionals at third-party expense.
If you have fewer social contacts (like me), plus if the topics of discussion are dry and the talks are boring to listen to, you are likely to die of boredom. Delegates spend more than 75% of their time at such events, re-establishing long-lost acquaintances or posting cringe-worthy photographs on social media to "reinforce the re-establishment". Also, if you do not consume any form of alcohol (like me) plus if the topics are dry and the talks are boring to listen to, you are definitely wasting your time there. What I mean to say is that people who appreciate none of these, need to attend a medical conference as a “delegate” only if the topics on discussion genuinely, genuinely interest you. Else, stay miles away.
More importantly, even if you feel you are worthy of being more than just a "delegate", stay away from medical conferences with honour, or else you are sure to lose whatever you have left behind.
I attended a medical conference a couple of days ago paying a hefty amount, almost the size of my electricity bill at home before we installed the solar panels here, to be a "delegate". Apart from the mundane monotonic melodrama that happens every time at every medical conference, I felt or saw nothing special. I felt bored to see almost the same faces on the stage, as well as off the stage. I roamed around the whole premises where the event was held and saw a couple of presentations. I had the non-vegetarian lunch on offer which was not even a tad better than what would be served at a rural wedding/housewarming ceremony on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram city.
I am surprised that the organisers do not wish for a makeover of such events by involving fresh faces on stage. For me, the definition of a “speaker” on stage is a person who speaks well, communicates his ideas well and leaves an impression with the way he/she talks on stage rather than by (only) the immense knowledge that he/she apparently claims to hide inside.
A person who holds three or four different degrees but cannot speak an unbroken sentence over the microphone without linguistic mistakes should never be allowed to become a “speaker” at a medical conference, for I believe it is his/her presentation skills that are more put on display at that moment as far as the show is concerned than his/her subject knowledge. I wish the organisers involved people who present topics much better, people who speak much better, people who have better, proven linguistic skills, and people who do not stammer with anxiety on stage. As I always say, "thinking out of the box" needs to happen for such novelties to materialise.
That mundane monotonicity in locally organised CMEs made me take a (New Year) resolution in connection with not attending such stereotypical, unspirited medical conferences as only a “delegate” henceforth.
Wish all of you a brand New Year that treats you much better than the one that is just getting wrapped up.
Anoop Prathapan
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I agree to your point of view boss… “anyone who thinks out of the box is a black sheep” enna chinthaagathi maaratha idatholam.. ithu thanneyaan vidhi.. unfortunately!!!!