What was it like attending the RCGP Annual Conference as an early career GP academic?

by Dr Molly Dineen, ST2 Academic Clinical Fellow in General Practice, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

I was so pleased to receive a bursary from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Severn Faculty, which enabled me to attend this year’s RCGP Annual Conference in Liverpool. I am an ST2 Academic Clinical Fellow in General Practice, and this was my first RCGP Annual Conference, as well as my first time in Liverpool!

Attending the conference was an incredible experience. I have created a short montage of my trip so that, if you haven’t been before, you can get a real taster of what it was like.

I would summarise my experience with the word ‘diversity’ and hopefully you get a sense of that from the video – diversity of experiences, diversity of sessions, diversity of people, and diversity of our profession.

There were so many experiences beyond just the core conference sessions. There was the opportunity to travel to Liverpool, spend time with my GP Registrar colleagues, meet members of the RCGP council, network with other researchers, speak to various charities and attend an additional pre-conference event for early career GPs.

The sessions were so diverse that it was impossible to attend everything that I wanted to! That said, I went to many brilliant and inspiring sessions, and aimed for a good mix of what was on offer. Highlights included a session on research in general practice, the plenary with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting, an opportunity to hear from leaders at the RCGP and hearing about developments in genomics and early cancer diagnosis.

One of the best parts of the conference was the opportunity to sit alongside thousands of medical students, GPs and GP Registrars from across the country and around the world. There was such diversity in backgrounds, career stages and interests. It felt inspiring to be in a room with (and dance with!) so many people that are passionate about their work in general practice. I enjoyed meeting up with the other members of the Severn Faculty Board and getting some time to speak one-on-one with the RCGP Chair, Kamila Hawthorne.

The event showcased the diversity in our profession, from research to leadership to innovation, and delivering quality care to patients. For me, variety is important for a long and fulfilling career. This conference really solidified my decision to be a GP.

Thank you again to the RCGP Severn Faculty for supporting my attendance at hopefully the first of many annual conferences.

Watch a video of Molly’s conference experience.