In addition to the presentations, personal discussions with colleagues are always an important part of continuing education events. The sometimes relaxed atmosphere after the presentations encourages participants to think outside the box and gain insight into the perspectives and practices of other colleagues through discussion.
Both you and your patients benefit enormously from these friendly contacts, or as they are often called in modern German, "networking." Especially when it comes to difficult questions, you always have a competent contact person at hand who you can call quickly, for example, to obtain an additional specialist opinion.
At the high-profile event last week in Portugal, where I gave a lecture on calcific tendonitis, I met a number of specialists from a wide range of fields.
I was particularly impressed by Prof. Dr. Bernd Wolfarth from Berlin, chief sports physician of the German Olympic team, who was able to make a short visit to Portugal but immediately had to return to Germany to work on preparations for the Olympics in Rio.
The discussions with Dr. Maibaum (pictured right), the team doctor of the German handball champions, the Rhein-Neckar Löwen, were also very interesting. You can learn a lot personally, including for caring for athletes in your own practice.
Overall, I can say: A highly interesting event with a variety of interesting presentations in a relaxed atmosphere and many friendly colleagues.