The day started off with a "first timers" orientation, which was great to know what to expect and meet other people in the same situation as myself. I also received a nice collection of badges to attach to my lanyard so people could easily identify me as a newbie :)
After this, was a light breakfast and time to browse the various exhibitors set up in the hall. As a student with limited exposure to some of the larger analyzers and POCT (point of care) devices, it was interesting to see what I can expect in the hospital and what is the latest in the field.
Today's theme seemed to revolve around leadership and what you can do to improve work place collaboration. I also attended a session on "Followership" and how being a good follower is just as important as a good leader. This is an upcoming hot topic is business as people are beginning to realize there are different types of followers and these followers are what make a leader "great". The session focused on these different types and how to adapt to their style and help them achieve their potential. There are numerous recently published books on it such as this one.
My final session of the day was to "Mind the Gap" on QC by Zoe Brooks from awesome-numbers.org. Many of us have experience using QC charts and analyzing the results but Zoe exposed many of the issues with current QC methods and how we can adapt and change them for the future. I think challenging rules and the "status quo" can be necessary to ensure things continue to grow and evolve.
The night ended with the Exhibitors reception with more time to spend speaking with exhibitors and fellow attendees while enjoying refreshments (and grabbing swag!) I'm hoping to go back and snag a mini eppendorf pipette pen tomorrow.
Tomorrow is a full day with 4 sessions as well as a plenary on Advocacy and the President's Reception at night!
Were you at LabCon? What was your favourite part of Day 1?
-K
I hope it's the first of many more
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