Networking at ASTRO as a med student?

[allseasons]

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I'm applying to rad onc and will be in the SF area around the time of ASTRO. I don't have a presentations or anything, but is it still worth going to try and network and introduce myself to PDs?

 

[drowsy12]

not really? I mean if you have money to spend to register and go, then sure, it won't hurt. but very little to gain either. youll have plenty of ASTROs to go to in the future.

 

[ivybme]

I think it's really hard to feel comfortable at ASTRO meeting people unless you sign up for the networking event, and/or you have some residents/attendings/med students you also know and can tag along with.

 

[drowsy12]

I think it's really hard to feel comfortable at ASTRO meeting people unless you sign up for the networking event, and/or you have some residents/attendings/med students you also know and can tag along with.

agree

 

[Gfunk6]

I'm applying to rad onc and will be in the SF area around the time of ASTRO. I don't have a presentations or anything, but is it still worth going to try and network and introduce myself to PDs?

NO, enjoy the Bay Area instead. It is a much more wortwhile use of your time.

 

[CCJW]

I think it's really hard to feel comfortable at ASTRO meeting people unless you sign up for the networking event, and/or you have some residents/attendings/med students you also know and can tag along with.

Hell, it was uncomfortable even with knowing a bunch of people as a resident.

 

[alwaysbeIMRTing]

I remember going to ASTRO as a med student completely clueless and alone and wondering around the vendor section and talking to the C-rad people like they were somebody I needed to impress. it's painful to think about how clueless and more importantly, mentorless I was. I paid a fortune out of pocket for the hotel and the university rad onc department never reimbursed me for the poster I paid $100 at Kinko's to have printed for them. They literally ghosted me when I asked how to get reimbursed. Which I now think is funny because it's the most academic rad onc move ever. The only thing better would have been a response telling me it was unprofessional to ask.

That being said, I don't attend ASTRO as a physician, and I certainly wouldn't as a med student. My CME funds are used for conferences by people who don't hate me in more interesting locations. ASTRO head and neck in scottsdale is fine though if you skip the conference and play golf the entire time (highly recommend Quintero).

 

[medgator]

I remember going to ASTRO as a med student completely clueless and alone and wondering around the vendor section and talking to the C-rad people like they were somebody I needed to impress. it's painful to think about how clueless and more importantly, mentorless I was. I paid a fortune out of pocket for the hotel and the university rad onc department never reimbursed me for the poster I paid $100 at Kinko's to have printed for them. They literally ghosted me when I asked how to get reimbursed. Which I now think is funny because it's the most academic rad onc move ever. The only thing better would have been a response telling me it was unprofessional to ask.

That being said, I don't attend ASTRO as a physician, and I certainly wouldn't as a med student. My CME funds are used for conferences by people who don't hate me in more interesting locations. ASTRO head and neck in scottsdale is fine though if you skip the conference and play golf the entire time (highly recommend Quintero).

If I need to actually go to a decent cancer conference, id rather go to asco

Or maybe estro/esmo for the location.....

 

[mheat3]

I remember going to ASTRO as a med student completely clueless and alone and wondering around the vendor section and talking to the C-rad people like they were somebody I needed to impress. it's painful to think about how clueless and more importantly, mentorless I was. I paid a fortune out of pocket for the hotel and the university rad onc department never reimbursed me for the poster I paid $100 at Kinko's to have printed for them. They literally ghosted me when I asked how to get reimbursed. Which I now think is funny because it's the most academic rad onc move ever. The only thing better would have been a response telling me it was unprofessional to ask.

That being said, I don't attend ASTRO as a physician, and I certainly wouldn't as a med student. My CME funds are used for conferences by people who don't hate me in more interesting locations. ASTRO head and neck in scottsdale is fine though if you skip the conference and play golf the entire time (highly recommend Quintero).

We Ko Pa and Troon North should be added to really enjoy the "conference"

 

[allseasons]

Thank you so all who replied! That helped me decide what to do haha.