The conference has officially ended as of earlier this afternoon. It was a very long two days. There was an immense amount of information that I need to synthesize later into a small report, and my hastily scribbled notes will have to do. I attended 5 sessions on the first day, and 8 sessions on the second day. The first day was devoted to Glaucoma. We attacked the issue on in an overview, a clinical level, a medical level, a molecular level, and a public health level.
Today we went over Diabetes, Diabetic Retinopathy, and other eye diseases and co-morbidities. Other physicians come from across the nation, part of CME or CE, and they asked very good questions. Actually, the Q&A for both days was quite extensive. I wonder if I can achieve that level someday…
The speakers for this conference were amazing! They were what I would call heavy-hitters in the medical field. I could go on about each one but what I can recall is that one doctor there had identified the first molecular mechanism of cytokine-induced insulin resistance. At least two (one was our keynote speaker on the first day) were apart of the Harvard-MIT MD/PHD program. It was, to be frank, intimidating.
Only lunch was given on the first day, but they provided breakfast and lunch today! Delicious breakfast burritos! Assorted fruit and pastries accompanied them, as well as coffee, tea, or orange juice. I enjoyed the meals! On top of that, we got a bag and a different lanyard to wear (since the badge for the conference is different from the one that I use to get around campus). We all looked very grown-up in our business casual attire.
Faculty and employees in the building would move away wherever I was walking, as if I was in a hurry for an important matter. I guess I’m starting to get comfortable as a graduate student. Who would’ve thought? :)
