MMII x MMIUK Insider's Guide to Medical Specialties Annual Conference 2020
Dublin, Ireland, 29 February 2020 - This was a 3 month work in progress since December 2019 from inviting doctors, securing a venue to planning getting and the equipment needed for the workshops. It would not have been a success were it not for the cooperation of members from both MMIUK and MMII.
Our annual Dublin conference started in UCD Health Science Building at 9 in the morning on the leap day with a mini disaster; nor did the closing ceremony run as we had originally planned. But we were adaptable, accommodating to the abrupt arrival of Storm Jorge and the warning sirens that came along with it!!!
We had amazing specialty talks in the morning from Urology Surgeon Mr Rustom Manecksha, first to introduce Urolift procedure to the Irish public health system (who will be shortly be launching a student friendly app on Urology) to Prof Martina Hennessy, Director of the HRB Welcome trust funded Clinical Research Facility at St James’s Hospital.
Not forgetting Dr Cian McDermott’s impactful message “fake it till you become it” and his route towards becoming co-director of emergency ultrasound education & consultant in emergency medicine as well as Dr Kate Dinnenn - giving us the insight of an histopathologist - the specialty with the lowest burnout and highest happiness according to a study report.
Lastly, my personal favourite Professor Paul Ridgway, sharing with us his journey to being the well respected surgeon he is today, inspiring many aspiring young doctors. He also spoke of how as medical students we should be actively engaged ourselves during attachments.
During lunch break, we had a mini case presentation competition with interesting insights from neurosurgery to paediatric cases.
After lunch, we had a wide variety of specialty workshops from stimulation cases - the basis of dealing with medical emergency 101 run by Dr Shazrul Ramly to Obs & Gynae led by Dr Yulia giving us an introduction to speculum insertion and cervical smear test.
Our participants particularly enjoyed the laparoscopy experience brought by our collaboration with UCD Surg Soc.
Thanks to Dr Joyve we got a head start and gained tips on perfecting our CV. We also had the honour to learn from fellow anaesthetist Dr Cillian Suiter with hands-on experience on airway management and different types of intubation techniques!
It was a day filled with fiery passion from doctors of different specialties, each with their own tale to tell. Despite the differences between medicine and surgery, all of these doctors have shared the same message:
“The importance of finding a specialty that fits you; and once you’ve found yours, there would never be a working day anymore”
Written by,
Amanda Lee
MMI Ireland Head of Publicity 19/20
