Ai Shern Tan
FY2 doctor, Warwick
When my abstract was accepted for a poster presentation at the FIS|HIS International Conference 2022, I was ecstatic. However, the costs of registering for and attending the in-person conference were a considerable amount, and I had to consider some sources of funding to be able to attend the conference. As it would be my first conference, I wanted to be able to experience presenting my poster in person, networking, and attending the lectures provided by experts in their field.
I was made aware of the HIS travel grant via the conference website, and saw that it covered all of the major costs; including travel, registration, poster printing, accommodation, and food during the conference.
The event I attended was the FIS|HIS 2022 international conference, a highly anticipated event for those in the field of infection. It was a large event, with participants traveling from all over the world to attend. There were lectures held by prestigious minds in the field of infection, as well as many parallel sessions running that I was able to choose from. There were attendees from various grades and professions, from medical students to consultants, from pharmacists to presenters from large companies. During lunches and coffee breaks, there was a chance to network and view posters in the gallery. There were about 200 poster presentations available to look at, and it was wonderful to be able to view such a wide variety of work.
The HIS travel grant was very much appreciated as it enabled me to fund my attendance for the in-person conference, instead of presenting at the virtual conference on the 26th September only. One of my aims was to experience the conference in person, and also to network with other conference attendees. The experience was also invaluable in allowing me to pursue my interest in infectious disease and microbiology, as I managed to speak with many seniors regarding potential career pathways, and the pros and cons of specialising in the field of infection. Besides the delicious food and drink, there were also a few booths present at the gallery that I was able to visit, and there I learnt about some of the newest technology that could be used to assist in infection control and disease monitoring; for example, there was a hand scanner machine that could detect a person’s hand hygiene, and could potentially be used to reduce the spread of infection via skin contact in hospitals.
The Lowbury Lecture that opened the conference will be an experience that stands out in memory. I will never forget the excitement of having so many people in the same place who were passionate about the field of infection. Getting to receive a lecture from someone so famous in the research of Staphylococcus aureus was an honor, and I learnt so much about infection control measures that we use daily in hospitals, and why we do them in a certain way. I also attended a session which focused on newest research, and gained some ideas on future audit and QIP opportunities.
There was also a dinner event hosted by HIS at a nearby restaurant. Enticed by the free food, I signed up for the event, but I also managed to speak to a group of registrars based in Bristol, where I am aiming to apply for next year. Listening to their experiences and advice really helped me, the results hopefully showing when I begin the specialty application process in a few months.
Being in London, I definitely did not miss the opportunity to travel around and get some souvenirs for my family back in Malaysia.