A scientific congress like no other If 2020 has taught us anything, it is the unpredictable nature of life that we now incorporate into our work, education and daily existence. With COVID-19 restrictions currently in place, we have planned for 500 registrants onsite for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) Annual Scientific Congress (ASC) 2021 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. At the time of planning, the number appears feasible; however, we are also ready to scale either downward or upward depending on the prevailing pandemic environment. We have been preparing for different scenarios and experimenting with new initiatives so that we can engage many of you for 2021, and in the years to come. Hubs We have been in discussion with your State, Territory and New Zealand (STANZ) committees and offices to form hubs in your regions. Forming a local hub is a fantastic way to bring your colleagues together to participate in the RACS ASC 2021 as a group. You can watch any sessions of your choice, including your surgical specialty, sessions of interest, the plenaries and the named lectures that suit your schedule. A hub can be any place you like, whether it be at your work, home or anywhere with the appropriate connections to stream the content.
With this flexibility, the ASC 2021 can be anywhere around the globe – get creative and share your experience using the hashtag #RACS2021. Your local RACS STANZ offices will also host hubs and more information will be updated on the ASC website as it becomes available. The STANZ offices will also be happy to help with any questions you might have, so please reach out. Convocation ceremony: Melbourne or local – your choice The ASC 2021 convocation ceremony will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre presided over by the RACS President and senior office bearers. In addition to Melbourne, local convocation ceremonies are also available. Fellows who are eligible to convocate in 2021 are entitled to receive complimentary registration for the ASC. An email invitation to register has been sent to those eligible to register. Registrations Registrations for the RACS 89th Annual Scientific Congress 2021 are now open. As previously mentioned, physical onsite registrations have been limited to 500 people, following local government guidelines and health advice. For 2021, onsite registrations have been made available only to Fellows of the RACS.
For Fellows interested in attending the ASC physically, we encourage you to go online and register now. A new registration category for virtual attendance has been introduced for 2021. Register as a virtual attendee and you can watch the sessions wherever you are, whenever you want. All Fellows must register for RACS ASC 2021, whether physically or virtually, to obtain Continuing Professional Development points. If you are watching at a hub without registering for the ASC, you cannot claim your points. For our regular attendees, we know this is different. For members who don’t usually attend the ASC, this is a good one to try. We truly hope that many of you can join us onsite or online to make this an ASC like no other! The 2021 Annual Scientific Congress will run from Monday 10 May to Friday 14 May. Find out more about how to set up a hub. If you are hosting a RACS ASC 2021 hub, please complete an online form to register your hub at tinyurl.com/ h7k0lpcr.
ADD YOUR HUB TO THE LIST
Dr Liz McLeod ASC Coordinator
