How to do it. Participate in an international conference

Attending an international conference should be instructive and fun. But it can also be alarming and lonely. Although participating in scientific conferences is now almost essential to medical career development, no medical school describes how to make the most of the opportunity as part of its curriculum. Here are some hints on how to get yourself organised so that the experience can be both scientifically productive and enjoyable. In essence, you should travel, see places, meet people, make friends, and identify one or two ideas that you can apply in your own work or research.