Episode summary

Guests

David Carr — EM physician (Toronto). Leads the Annual Update in EM at Whistler. Focus: inclusive, high‑energy, “hard‑core EM” content.
Haney Mallemat — EM & Critical Care (South Jersey/Philadelphia). Founder of ResusX; designs short, high‑engagement sessions that feel like live conversations.

Key themes

Why travel when content is online? Being in the room changes attention, reflection, and recall. Learning happens in corridors, evening sessions, and next‑day conversations.
From lectures to experiences. Shift to shorter talks, couch discussions, live demos, and deliberate hosting. Format follows audience and venue.
Programme design starts with the audience. Build for how people learn now. Coach faculty. Pick speakers for delivery and credibility.
Strong hosting is part of pedagogy. Good chairs manage flow, time, and psychological safety so the audience can relax and learn.
Social learning drives change. Purposeful social time and small‑group evening sessions create the “stickiness” that leads to projects and practice updates.

Practical takeaways for clinicians

Arrive with intent: bring 1–2 real patient problems to solve.
Choose your format: prioritise short talks, interviews, and hands‑on if your attention is fragmented.
Make it stick on Monday: debrief with a colleague, write one practice change, set a review date. Present a short “what I learned” to your team.
Borrow authority wisely: take clear, referenced points (e.g., contrast allergy/nephropathy policies) back to local committees.

Practical takeaways for organisers

Audience first: define who you serve; let that drive length, tone, and format.
Shorten and vary: fewer bullet‑heavy lectures; more interviews, panels, and no‑slide formats when it helps educators shine.
Coach and curate: select speakers for content and delivery; build a pipeline for new voices.
Invest in hosting: treat chairs as educators; they safeguard pacing, transitions, and safety.
Design the socials: plan purposeful evening micro‑teaching and cross‑disciplinary meet‑ups.
Measure impact: mandate feedback tied to CPD; analyse themes and close the loop next year.

Risks and tensions

Edutainment vs evidence: keep the energy without losing rigour.
Access and equity: budgets, visas, disability, and caring responsibilities exclude many; amplify content post‑event.
“Too innovative?” Novel formats can struggle with recognition and funding; meet audiences halfway and iterate.

How conferences translate to patient care

Prioritise topics that solve common bottlenecks.
Put change agents on stage with take‑home resources (e.g., clear radiology guidance on contrast “allergy” and nephropathy).
Encourage attendees to form local groups to implement one change within two weeks.

Ep 274 - What medical conferences offer in 2025 (and how they’ve changed)

The St.Emlyn’s Podcast