Christopher Audu, MD, surveys the 2024 meeting landscape, highlighting prime opportunities for trainees to showcase their research.
It is abstract submission, and this month I wanted to highlight a few national meetings that are “trainee friendly” for getting your work presented as a podium talk or poster presentation. This list is not exhaustive but hopefully gets you thinking about applying.
Vascular and Endovascular Surgical Society (VESS)
We did a deep exposé on this organization in the December 2020 issue. A premier vascular meeting, the VESS winter conference is always in January and always at a ski resort, making it very popular. There is programming for trainees from the medical student, to the resident and fellow level. In addition, there is always great science presented. A very welcoming society, if you miss the winter conference, watch out for the spring edition—that’s always paired with the SVS Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM).
Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery (SCVS)
This is another society that has programming for students, residents and fellows. The meeting is usually in the late winter/ early spring—in March—and is usually somewhere warm. Be on the lookout for the SCVS Top Gun Competition, where you can go head-to-head with your colleagues in friendly battle.
Pacific Northwest Endovascular Conference (PNEC)
Don’t be fooled by the name, this is a meeting of vascular minds that invites faculty from all over the country to participate. Usually in Seattle, and hosted by the University of Washington, this meeting also has a friendly competition where programs can send a team to compete in a variety of vascular simulations. In addition, it is a great place to present some newer work.
Academic Surgical Congress (ASC)
This meeting is not exclusively focused on vascular surgery, but it does accept papers discussing vascular conditions. This is a great conference for students and trainees to get on for podium presentations. The meeting usually is in close temporal proximity to VESS—in February.
American Venous Forum (AVF)
Have you done work looking at venous pathology? This is the premier national meeting to present your work either in talk or poster format. The AVF is usually at a resort and often seeks trainee input. While there is no dedicated trainee programming, the organizers actively seek out trainee involvement.
Charing Cross (CX) International Symposium
This is an international meeting, set in London, England, and is usually in April. It’s a unique-style symposium that focuses on controversies in vascular surgical management in an effort to develop a consensus. While not entirely exclusive to vascular surgeons, it serves as a great meeting to hear the latest and reconsider what may be dogma based on practice patterns at your institution.
Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) and Vascular Discovery (AHA)
This is a gathering for anyone conducting basic science vascular research. VRIC is often the day before the American Heart Association (AHA) Vascular Discovery meeting, and usually in April or May. It’s a wonderful opportunity to present groundbreaking work in a friendly environment. There is a poster competition and select abstracts will be recognized and awarded. For the budding basic scientist-vascular surgeon, this is a must-attend meeting that will allow you to meet other like-minded surgeon-scientists.
Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM)
This is always a big hit, and is the premier vascular surgery meeting in the U.S. With excellent programming aimed at medical students, residents/fellows, and a general audience, this meeting provides ample opportunity to learn, network and gain exposure to current practices in vascular surgery. As a trainee, if there’s only one meeting you can make, this one is probably it.
In addition to those listed above, there are a number of other meetings and conferences that are great for educational and learning purposes, although the talks at these are usually in the form of invited lectures given by attendings rather than through abstract submission. These include, but are not limited to, VIVA (Vascular Interventional Advances), The VEINS (Venous Endovascular Interventional Strategies), VEITHsymposium and the Strandness Symposium.
In the end, these are all opportunities to meet and re-meet expert vascular surgeons as we progress on this journey towards becoming competent vascular surgeons ourselves. I look forward to seeing you on a podium somewhere as you share your awesome work!
Christopher Audu, MD, is the Vascular Specialist resident/fellow editor.
