The Spring Meeting for Clinician Scientists is changing: it is now the Clinical Academics in Training Annual Conference (CATAC), and the first one will be held on 8 November 2018 at the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh.
This year, we commissioned an independent evaluation of the Spring Meeting, and we are excited to evolve the event into CATAC following feedback from a range of stakeholders.
We were pleased to hear that Spring Meeting is considered to occupy a clear niche, attract a broad range of research disciplines and, importantly, offer support to early career clinical academics through networking and career development opportunities.
While these aspects won’t be changing, we will be adapting the schedule to accommodate more research talks from attendees, include an inspiring plenary talk from a mid-career researcher, and we will facilitate more meaningful networking by providing delegate profiles online in advance.
We are holding the first Clinical Academics in Training Annual Conference at the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh, following feedback that attendees would appreciate the event rotating between London and other venues in the UK - we would love to see some familiar faces, as well as a new cohort of clinical researchers who couldn't attend our events in London.
“As the Academy of Medical Sciences’ Regional Champion for Scotland, I’d like to encourage Early Career Researchers to attend the Clinical Academics in Training Annual Conference to present your work. It’s a great opportunity to network with your colleagues across the UK, to meet Academy Fellows and talk about your research, and to get an abstract published in the Lancet. I’d also like to encourage Fellows of the Academy to come, to support our junior colleagues and to learn something new! Previous Spring Meetings have had excellent feedback: this is the first time it is being held in Scotland, and I am sure there will be a good turnout.”
Professor Jane Norman FMedSci, Professor of Maternal and Fetal Health, Director of the Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health, Vice Principal, People and Culture, University of Edinburgh.
This will be the first Academy event held in the newly refurbished Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh Conference Centre and its historic rooms and we looking forward to working with the College to deliver an innovative Academy event.
“We are delighted to be hosting the CATAC 2018 conference here in Edinburgh in November 2018. The event aligns with the strategic research priorities of the College which is committed to undertaking and supporting research through a variety of channels and to developing the researchers of the future. Since 2016 our own research symposium offers medical students and doctors in training an early opportunity to present findings; have early career research published and to build on networks. We look forward to working with the Academy of Medical Sciences and to hosting this prestigious event in Edinburgh on its first rotation from London.”
Professor Derek Bell, President, Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh
Further details about abstract submission and registration will be announced in early 2018.