Currently we can't hop a plane, check into a hotel, and hit the convention floor in search of a great conference presentation. But you can still log on and learn. To escape the ongoing isolation, I jumped at the chance to virtually attend the 2020 meetings of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (KY-ACC), and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS).
My experiences varied from absolute glee at successfully navigating the day's schedule to frustration trying to create an avatar or get CME credit.
ESC and KY-ACC
The ESC was very user friendly. I happily clicked in to live presentations or prerecorded sessions. I took notes while I ate lunch at my breakfast table. The ESC broadcast from a virtual studio in Amsterdam with in-person discussants and prerecorded late-breaking presentations.
Studio for ESC broadcast
The KY-ACC meeting had similar endorphin-producing results, with a notable difference in technical aesthetics. Fake attendees chatted among themselves, heads bobbing while mechanically gesticulating. When I clicked on a room to watch a presentation, some of these virtual attendees seemingly joined me. I appreciated that nonintrusive attempt to humanize my meeting experience.
My only difficulty for both meetings was requesting proof of CME credit.
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COMMENTARY
An Avatar Is Not a Human: Virtual Meetings Have Their Limitations
Melissa Walton-Shirley, MD
DisclosuresNovember 02, 2020
Currently we can't hop a plane, check into a hotel, and hit the convention floor in search of a great conference presentation. But you can still log on and learn. To escape the ongoing isolation, I jumped at the chance to virtually attend the 2020 meetings of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (KY-ACC), and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS).
My experiences varied from absolute glee at successfully navigating the day's schedule to frustration trying to create an avatar or get CME credit.
ESC and KY-ACC
The ESC was very user friendly. I happily clicked in to live presentations or prerecorded sessions. I took notes while I ate lunch at my breakfast table. The ESC broadcast from a virtual studio in Amsterdam with in-person discussants and prerecorded late-breaking presentations.
Studio for ESC broadcast
The KY-ACC meeting had similar endorphin-producing results, with a notable difference in technical aesthetics. Fake attendees chatted among themselves, heads bobbing while mechanically gesticulating. When I clicked on a room to watch a presentation, some of these virtual attendees seemingly joined me. I appreciated that nonintrusive attempt to humanize my meeting experience.
My only difficulty for both meetings was requesting proof of CME credit.
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Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Melissa Walton-Shirley. An Avatar Is Not a Human: Virtual Meetings Have Their Limitations - Medscape - Nov 02, 2020.
Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Author(s)
Melissa Walton-Shirley, MD
Clinical Cardiologist, Nashville, Tennessee
Disclosure: Melissa Walton-Shirley, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.