2025 February Newsletter

BSIR 2024 – A PERSPECTIVE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BSIR TRAINEE COMMITTEE

As a newly qualified consultant and the Past Chair of the BSIR Trainee Committee, I have been to my fair share of BSIR Annual Scientific Meetings (ASMs). Each year the conference has a slightly different feel and 2024 was no exception. The enthusiasm from delegates and faculty alike was palpable and the Scientific Programme Committee did a wonderful job of putting together an exciting and varied programme.

For the first time, trainee content was spread throughout the conference, with different sessions targeted towards trainees each day, starting at 9am on Day One. Trainees and junior members made the most of the content available to them throughout the conference, which covered many areas including careers, research and finding a consultant job. The presence of more trainee and junior members throughout the week allowed more time for networking, spending time in the active learning zone and attending masterclasses for a more in depth look at specialist topics. A particular highlight of the trainee programme was the Dragon’s Den style research pitches, which were brilliantly delivered.

The BSIR Juniors lounge and BSIR Trainee IR Museum were focal points allowing trainees to meet peers and learn more about IR away from the hustle and bustle of the exhibition hall. These have been very popular features from the last few conferences and are hopefully here to stay! Similarly, the ‘Diagnosis to Discharge’ series aimed at more senior trainees was incredibly insightful and has gained excellent feedback.

The ASM would be nothing without industry partners, and it was great to see trainees engaging with industry and all the educational content available to them. This is something that trainees previously did not have a lot of time to do, with the trainee content previously limited to the last day of the conference. It is useful to forge relationships with industry outside of the workplace and the ASM is a great place to do this.

It was wonderful to see so many poster and oral presentations submitted by trainees and juniors. The abstract submissions for the ASM 2025 will be opening later this year and are a great way to become more involved with the conference.

My personal highlights of the conference included the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) content scattered throughout the week. From the fantastic EDI session on day one to Professor Tze Wah’s inspirational Wattie Fletcher Lecture, this conference felt more inclusive and diverse than in previous years. I particularly enjoyed seeing more balanced moderator panels and faculty and this is echoed in feedback from trainees and consultants alike.

Rounding off the conference with an informative discussion on the newly launched IR GIRFT review, Dr Alex Barnacle was, as always, a hugely inspirational speaker. More so than in previous years, I returned to work with fresh enthusiasm and ideas to share with my colleagues.

My first BSIR ASM experience was in Liverpool in 2014. I was one of the few female trainees attending the BSIR Trainee Day, as it was then, and I came away inspired but feeling like I had barely scraped the surface of the specialty. Ten years on, the BSIR ASM is a much larger, more vibrant conference with greater opportunities for learning, networking and sharing of ideas. I’m excited to see what this year’s ASM will bring!

Dr Katrina Harborne Consultant Interventional Radiologist, Worcester Royal Hospital