ESA News

ESA Newsletter: April 2003

ESA Clinical Weekend, Barossa Valley

In brilliant sunlight and in happy spirits, 138 registrants, 24 partners and 8 sundry children checked in to the Novotel Resort in the Barossa Valley for the 22nd Annual Clinical Weekend meeting. Even before the first game of golf, the winery tour or a workout in the gym, we were heavily involved in the clinical program.

The topics for the meeting were very current and the discussions were lifted to a new level by the prepared material of a number of trainees who provided a rich evidence-base. There were the usual wise contributions from experienced clinicians and some good challenges and debates from younger members. One session was designed to discuss tricky medico-legal issues and our approach to the lawyer's letter. We were helped in the consideration of a hypoglycaemic driver and a woman with breast cancer who was being treated with HRT by a Risk Management Barrister (Chris Boundy) and an Endocrine surgeon (Rob Parkyn) who added important perspective.

The Overseas Guest Lecture was given by Paul Stewart on Endocrine hypertension. It was a fabulous lecture, pitched at just the right level, incorporating basic science, clinical investigation and the odd piece of historical trivia. Trainees (mostly women, I noticed) were queued up out the door to ask questions and to book post-doctoral opportunities in Birmingham.

Stephen Judd and John Carter provided a high quality trivial pursuits that had most people guessing and competing for the Basedow bottles and one well informed trainee scored a new copy of Beckers' Principles and Practice to take to bed and read.

A number of issues were raised in discussion with trainees at the session devoted to training issues. This session needs refining, but it is a powerful opportunity to discuss changes in College policy and to receive feedback from trainees. Tired but happy, we raced back to Adelaide to the Annual Scientific meeting, eagerly anticipating the next meeting in Melbourne 2003.

Steve Judd

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