ACR/APLAR/EULAR exchange programme – ACR Convergence 2024
Each year, EULAR, APLAR and ACR offer exchange programmes allowing junior researchers, physicians and health professionals in rheumatology to attend EULAR, APLAR or ACR conference (APLAR programme currently recruiting). The programmes aim to recognise outstanding professionals, to provide exposure to the work being done by colleagues overseas and to create opportunities for networking and collaboration. In addition to attendance at the conference itself, the programme consists of special activities for the programme participants and a site visit at a local institution.
Professionals considering to apply need to:
a. be a permanent resident of a EULAR member country
b. hold a non-tenured faculty appointment or equivalent position at an academic centre in a EULAR member country
c. have received a doctoral degree in a field relevant to rheumatology
d. be 40 years of age or younger
e. demonstrate a commitment to academic rheumatology.
I was privileged to participate in the EULAR/APLAR/ACR Exchange Programme at the ACR Convergence 2024, together with fellow EMEUNET members Ertugrul Bolek from Turkey, Juan Molina Collada from Spain, Eduardo Domingues from Portugal, Bohdana Doskaliuk from Ukraine, Fernando Estévez-López from Spain, Liala Moschetti from Italy, Arbi Pecani from Albany and Agata Schramm-Luc from Poland. The APLAR delegates this year were Zahid Amin from Bangladesh, Sung Hae Chang from Korea, Melina Dissanayake from Sri Lanka, Fayanne Lim from the Philippines and Tsuneo Sasai from Japan.
Together, we attended the ACR Convergence conference in Washington, DC. In the heart of the American capital, uncountable presentations and posters were held and joined by more than 10,000 attendees from all over the world. Of course, we added some of the city’s many free museums to the conference’s programme.
As part of the Exchange Programme, we were treated to meet-ups. The speed-dating sessions with senior rheumatologists were very enjoyable and useful. Nothing romantic here, but I got some insightful ideas from new perspectives.
The highlight of the programme was a visit to the famous National Institutes of Health (NIH). After a thorough safety check, similar to an average international airport, we toured the institute and networked with NIH researchers. We attended lectures by these researchers, discussed our own research projects with them, and had enough time to chat socially with them as well. I was delighted to experience a top-level environment of academic thinking. I was curious to learn that NIH offers outpatient and inpatient care to patients from around the world, but only as part of scientific studies. I wondered when EMEUNET and EULAR could establish a similar institute as a European counterpart: would that not be an exciting challenge?
The Exchange Programme has made my visit to the ACR Convergence much more fun, useful and worthwhile than it would have been if I had gone all alone. I am grateful to EULAR and ACR, who made this programme possible. To anyone considering whether to apply for the programme, I would advise: go for it!
Dr Jacob Koopman MD PhD
Country: The Netherlands
Jacob is a medical specialist in internal medicine and clinical immunology, working at University Medical Center Utrecht. In his clinical work and research, he focuses on systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome, particularly on predicting these diseases before they become overt. He cares for patients with any other systemic immunological disease. He is a member of the Dutch Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, and of EULAR. He is an editor for the Dutch Journal of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology. He is a member of the EMEUNET Newsletter Sub-Committee.