Published on December 31, 2023
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Original article written and published by Dr. Anoop Prathapan on December 31, 2023.

A “delegate,” in medical conference terminology, is nothing but a glorified listener who is expected to simply sit back, listen (or sleep), eat, and leave. Delegates play virtually no role in the event itself.

To facilitate this experience, delegates are typically provided with a conference bag, a couple of pens, a writing pad, and a few complimentary items, depending on who sponsors the event. In return, they sit, watch, sleep, eat, and leave.

Some delegates, perhaps eager to make their presence felt, ask questions to the speaker. In an era where everyone has access to Google on their smartphones, framing a quick question is hardly difficult.

As far as many delegates are concerned, these conferences often become little more than social gatherings of medical professionals funded at someone else’s expense.

More Social Than Scientific

If you have fewer social contacts (like me), and if the topics under discussion are dry and the presentations uninspiring, you are likely to die of boredom.

Delegates spend more than 75% of their time at such events reconnecting with long-lost acquaintances or posting cringe-worthy photographs on social media to reinforce those reunions.

If you also happen to abstain from alcohol (like me), while finding the lectures dull and the discussions uninspiring, then you are almost certainly wasting your time.

What I mean is simple: attend a medical conference as a delegate only if the subjects genuinely—genuinely—interest you.

Otherwise, stay miles away.

More Than Just a Delegate

More importantly, even if you believe you are capable of contributing more than simply being a delegate, it is sometimes better to stay away with dignity rather than lose whatever professional enthusiasm you have left.

My Experience

A couple of days ago, I attended a medical conference after paying a hefty registration fee—almost equal to what my electricity bill used to be before we installed solar panels at home.

Apart from the familiar, mundane, and monotonous routine that seems to accompany almost every medical conference, I experienced nothing particularly memorable.

I saw almost the same faces both on the stage and off it.

I walked around the venue, attended a few presentations, and eventually had the non-vegetarian lunch that was offered.

To be honest, it was not even marginally better than the food one would expect at a rural wedding or housewarming ceremony on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram.

The Need for Fresh Faces

What surprises me most is the apparent reluctance of organizers to reinvent these conferences by inviting fresh faces onto the stage.

To me, a true speaker is someone who:

• Speaks effectively.
• Communicates ideas clearly.
• Leaves a lasting impression through presentation skills.

Knowledge alone should not define a conference speaker.

Presentation Matters

A person may possess three or four academic degrees, but if he or she cannot deliver an uninterrupted sentence over a microphone without linguistic mistakes, that person should not be selected as a speaker at a medical conference.

At that moment, it is not merely subject expertise that is being evaluated.

Presentation skills become equally, if not more, important.

I sincerely wish organizers would involve:

• People who present topics more effectively.
• People who communicate more clearly.
• People with proven linguistic skills.
• People who can confidently address an audience without anxiety-induced stammering.

As I often say,

“Thinking outside the box” must happen if genuine novelty is to materialize.

A New Year’s Resolution

The repetitive monotony of locally organized Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs has led me to make a New Year’s resolution.

From this point forward, I intend to avoid attending such stereotypical and uninspiring medical conferences merely as a delegate.

New Year Wishes

Wish all of you a brand New Year that treats you much better than the one that is just coming to an end.