Young oncologists arguably stand to gain the most at ESMO by having the opportunity to discuss industry news and network with the most experienced doctors and professionals in their field.
The 2022 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress took place in Paris, France from Sep. 9 -13, bringing in hundreds of life science professionals from all over the world to discuss the latest news in the industry.
While the weekend is meant for professionals from all parts of the industry, young oncologists arguably stand to gain the most by having the opportunity to discuss industry news and network with the most experienced doctors and professionals in their field.
The annual ESMO Congress consists of over 20 sessions over three days, covering topics that range from therapeutic innovations and translational research to public policy and patient care. In-person and virtual attendees came together to discuss these advancements and how this new information will affect and improve patient care.
Young Oncologist Committee Track Sessions
The Young Oncologist Committee (YOC) is an aspect of ESMO that invites oncologists under 40 years old to become personally involved with the industry. The organization was founded about two decades ago and has since brought in thousands of young oncologists to improve their expertise and widen their network in the healthcare and pharmaceutical areas.
There are currently 14 committee members from a number of countries representing the group of oncologists included in the YOC.
This year, the ESMO Congress YOC Track Sessions focused on a wide range of topics specific to oncologists who are newer to the field. The opening sessions discussed panelists’ choices that led them to a career path in oncology.
Australian clinical oncologist Liz Connolly joined French researcher Maria Kfoury and several others to discuss their professional and personal experiences in the field.
Mentorship sessions like this one started with YOC back in 2016. Year after year, oncologists use these introductory sessions to initiate relationships between professionals in the field and dissect research findings from the previous year.
The “Boxing” Session later in the day invited new and experienced oncologists to discuss controversial topics in oncology with their peers.
First, oncologists debated the challenges of tumor mutational burden as a tumor agnostic biomarker. Senior medical oncologist Aurélien Marabelle and senior researcher Alfredo Addeo led that discussion. Soon after, the head of the Oncology Medicine Department, Ahmad Awada, led a debate about the role of medical oncology today with Angela Lamarca, a medical oncology consultant.
Sessions like the boxing session and initial mentorship session offer young oncologists a chance to voice their ideas, learn from their peers, dive deeper into new research and take away a new perspective regarding their approach to the industry.
These YO Track Sessions took place only in person this year to get away from the all-online concept ESMO has followed for the last two years due to COVID-19.
Virtual YO Track Sessions included one led by experienced researchers discussing the process of applying for and receiving a research grant with step-by-step instructions on time management, building a research team and more. Attendees were able to get questions answered regarding their particular struggles with grant applications, research coordination and follow-through.
Resources for Young Oncologists
The YO Track Sessions are all specifically geared toward young oncologists who still have many questions about the industry. Attending conferences like ESMO will give newer oncologists a chance to meet people who are on a similar path as them and also hear from dozens of key opinion leaders in the field.
As mentioned at the Mentorship session, YOC offers a 12-month ESMO Virtual Mentorship program that works to match up young oncologists with senior mentors in the ESMO network. These mentors offer one-on-one guidance to help professionals develop research topics, get their work published and become successful in the field while still avoiding burnout and maintaining a work-life balance.
In order to apply, one must be an ESMO member under 40 years old who can clearly identify and discuss the areas of their personal or professional life that are in need of mentorship assistance.
Another resource is the YO Corner, through the ESMO website, which offers virtual opportunities year-round for oncologists to meet up and discuss the latest research and news regarding their expertise.
Oncologists who are young and new to the industry can also join the YO Facebook group to network with other oncologists and learn about similar conferences in the industry.
The next ESMO Congress will be the Immuno-Oncology Congress, which will take place in Geneva, Switzerland from Dec. 7-9.
