Introducing something significant and new during Congress requires a leap of faith. Sarah May from the IBMS writes about the new Sunday lecture programme.
Cytopathology microscopy workshop. A new feature for Congress 2017 is a structured non-gynaecological cytopathology microscopy workshop, aimed at individuals with experience of screening non-gynae samples.
It is ideal for anyone who is preparing to sit the Diploma of Expert Practice in nongynaecological cytology examination, or who is operating at a senior level and feels they would benefit from an intensive guided practical refresher.
A short tutorial will be followed by timed rotation of marked cases, which will comprise a blend of urines, effusions and respiratory samples. All slides will have been photographed and the workshop will conclude with a review and discussion of the cases seen. This is a highly intensive practical workshop that supports the Monday to Wednesday cytopathology lecture programme.
Delegates can book just to attend the Sunday workshop, but would benefit from combining it with the weekday lecture programme. There are 40 places on the workshop, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Molecular pathology
Biomedical scientists are the workforce that must be at the forefront of the molecular pathology tsunami that is currently shaping the future of diagnostics. This represents both opportunities for diversification and also a steep learning curve.
Molecular pathology is a brand new lecture programme that we will be launching on Sunday; it is aimed at people who work in one of the “traditional” pathology disciplines and who want to equip themselves with a greater understanding of the new technologies and how they are applied.
The lectures provide an introduction to the subject and its application to diagnosis and disease management; also included is an explanation of bioinformatics and how it is being used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
The afternoon concludes with a keynote talk from Professor Terry Brown from the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, who will be talking on the molecular analysis of ancient DNA. This lecture, by such an eminent speaker in the field, is a fascinating examination of the use of ancient DNA as a source of genetic data relating to the kinship affiliations of human skeletal remains and also as a tool to study diseases in the past.
Education and management
Due to the popularity of the education programme, we are offering an afternoon of education and training lectures on the Sunday, which will address all of the issues key to anyone with a responsibility for training, or who is currently undergoing a programme of training. This will continue on to the Monday Education Programme and will ensure that we cover the whole spectrum of issues, from constructing a training programme and understanding learning styles, to what to do when trying to train the apparently untrainable.
This series of lectures forms an essential training tool kit and is an excellent starting point for the rest of the education programme; it also offers an additional opportunity to come to Congress for those who are unable to attend during the week.
Quality management
There are two days of quality at Congress. Starting on Sunday is a quality management programme constructed by quality managers for quality managers. A first class series of talks that will take you through all of the issues of approaching and achieving accreditation: multiple quality schemes, flexible scope, risk and multi-site accreditation. This is a programme designed to help you understand how best to meet the challenges of your role.