After thought A handshake and a hug

By Deepak G Krishnan Cincinnati. USA

THE POWER OF HUMAN CONNECTION is often overlooked. As the tragedy of a pandemic canceled our opportunity to meet in 2021, we pivoted to learning online and got adept at navigating the Zoom calls and the Teams meetings and the multitude of other virtual platforms and started getting used to this new normal. While it was certainly cool for a while to listen to some world class lectures from one’s bedroom at one’s convenience, there was something fundamental missing since the ICOMS in Rio. The power of a handshake and the warmth of a hug!

When the doors to the Vancouver convention center opened its doors to over 1300 participants from 60 countries, there was a renewed energy. Friends and colleagues from across the globe came together with much joy and fervor after the 4-year hiatus. The venue was perfect with great early summer British Columbia weather, and the warm Canadian hospitality. Attendees got a rare treat of two Presidential lectures - one about history and one about the future! The symposia had folks lining the walls, the Women in OMS session was dynamic and powerful, the free paper sessions were stimulating, and the Masterclasses were masterful. The social events were spectacular and fun, and the gala was simply classy!

Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence seemed to be the overarching theme throughout the congress. Every aspect of our specialty seems to be heading in that direction, as are our lives. Innovative minds from all over the globe presented outstanding research and surgical techniques with a fervor to a hungry audience of curious minds. It seemed ironic that so many humans were talking so much about machine intelligence. It was as though they had all seen a new type of sunrise.

Above and beyond all the scientific congressional hullabaloo was a sense of satisfaction in gathering with the birds of the same feather. We are a small specialty. It is likely that you know every Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon in your town, perhaps in your region. It is possible that you happen to know or know of, just about everyone in your country by less than a degree or two of separation. It fascinates me to recognize that the folks that come to the ICOMS and committedly keep attending it year after year are also often the same. I meet the same contingent from Estonia and the same group from Nigeria and the same surgeons from Australia at every ICOMS. And then there are the deer in the headlights appearing first time attendees that congregate on trade exhibit floor, fascinated by what they are seeing! Why do we all keep gathering at this event every other year? Is it the scientific content? Is it the social aspect of gathering? Is it the political clout that it projects? Perhaps it is one of these, many of these, or all of these for most of the conference attendees.

As for me, I have been a regular ICOMS attendee since 2007. I go to the ICOMS to have a good time, connect with my global family, and learn from the very best in the craft of oral and maxillofacial surgery.

The Vancouver ICOMS hit the spot perfectly. I arrived like a hungry traveler at an inn in a far-off land, in the middle of the night. I soaked up the conference like a sponge, the science, the culture and the camaraderie and it was just delightful. Thank you, Vancouver and good bye! ■