Welcome to Chicago

Chicago is a great conference city. At least that is what my friends tell me, and since I moved to Chicago, quite a few conferences have been held.

However, hosting a conference in one’s own town proves difficult. First of all, because of the convenience of not having to travel, one typically does not free up time, and work combined with conference attendance can quickly overwhelm a schedule.

For me, this year’s conference is going to be particularly busy because on Sunday, the Annual Shamrock Shuffle is being held — an 8k charity run through downtown Chicago, which will not only interfere with traffic around the convention center but also require me to burn some calories after fine dining the night before.

Also this year, we have the CardioExchange Board review meeting at Spiaggia, home to Top Chef runner-up Sarah Grueneberg. You can learn more about the event here.

Then, of course, there’s the meeting itself.

Conference Preview

Within the meeting, there are many events to look forward to. For information on late-breaking sessions, go here.

Two-year results from PARTNER-A will be presented, as this nonsurgical option begins to be unrolled around the country.

Already during my fellowship, several studies have been published comparing PCI and CABG in multivessel disease. This issue will be addressed once more with results coming from the ASCERT database, which is focused on high-risk patients.

Some more information on novel anticoagulants will be presented, possibly extending the roles that can be played by rivaroxaban (studied in pulmonary embolism in EINSTEIN PE) and vorapaxar (studied in heart attack and stroke prevention in TIMI 50). 

There will also be fellow-focused events being held throughout the meeting, in particular a Mix & Mingle event on Saturday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Bistro ACC, where fellows can meet with various leaders in the field.

A Guide for Novices

Check out previous posts on the experience of being a first-time presenter (here and here).

Last November, Dr. Thomas Ryan gave a great historical perspective on medical meetings (focused on the AHA) and offered excellent advice for how fellows should break down their time.

For a previous meeting in Chicago, I listed plentiful options for a great Chicago meal.

Finally, at the very launch of CardioExchange, James de Lemos offered a useful overview for how cardiology fellows can get the most out of conferences.

It is going to be a busy couple of days, but all in all, I am proud of the enthusiasm that visitors have for attending conferences in Chicago.