RTT Meet and Greet, Vienna 2023

Over the past few years, we have all appreciated the convenience of a virtual conference. However, what we missed with these virtual meetings were the networking opportunities that an in-person congress enables. This was very much in evidence at the 2023 radiation therapist (RTT) meet and greet event at the annual ESTRO conference in May.

The ESTRO RTT meet and greet, in my experience, is a well-attended affair and a great opportunity to expand your professional network. In my role as principal research RTT at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, UK, I have been fortunate to attend three ESTRO conferences to date, and at each one I have popped along to the event. The 2023 meet and greet was opened by RTT committee chair Yat Man Tsang (Toronto), who introduced himself and his role in both ESTRO and the committee. Other committee members then followed suit; to name but a few, there was Ludwig Van Den Berghe of Flanders, Belgium, 2023 chair of the RTT scientific advisory group (SAG); Philipp Scherer, Salzburg, Austria; Sophie Boisbouvier, Lyon, France; Rita Simoes, London, UK; Monica Buijs, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and chair of the 2024 SAG. All explained their roles and involvement with ESTRO. What became apparent, when listening to these introductions, was the range of experience, diversity of backgrounds, and the wealth of knowledge that make up the ESTRO RTT committee.

All participants were encouraged to mix informally and introduce themselves to their fellow RTT professionals. There followed lots of lively, friendly chatter ‑ a universal skill of RTTs ‑ as introductions were heard throughout the stage area in the exhibition hall and we all learnt a little about each other. Not only is this event a great opportunity to make professional connections, but it’s also a friendly place at which to say hello – very nice should you be attending the congress on your own, which was exactly the situation I was in back in 2019. Fast forward to 2023 and I was able to reconnect not just with familiar faces but, as a result of building my own network, with colleagues whom I am now working alongside on the RTT SAG for ESTRO 2024. This work has proved to be a great experience of collaborative working across Europe.

So for all those attending ESTRO in Glasgow next year, please pop along to the RTT meet and greet and say hello. We’re all looking forward to meeting you!

Jo Mitchell

Principal research radiographer

Edinburgh Cancer Centre

Scotland, UK

Joanne.mitchell@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk