In August this year the WFSA will host the most anticipated anaesthesia event of 2016 in beautiful, bustling Hong Kong. However, applications for WFSA-Baxter Scholarships to the World Congress of Anaesthesiologists (WCA) will close next week. To be considered, eligible applicants must complete and send the form to us by Tuesday 15th March.

To give potential applicants a better idea of what the Congress involves, and the positive impact it can have on clinical practice and future career prospects, the WFSA thought that a blog post would be the best way to share just how exciting the opportunity is.

The World Congress is often called the ‘Olympics of the anaesthesia’ and is keenly anticipated as it travels the globe. It is a unique occasion to bring all the international practitioners of our specialty together, to share ideas and learn from one another.

In Hong Kong there will be 20 different scientific tracks organised by leaders in each field, held over five days. There will also be symposia on Anaesthesia and Cancer, Obesity and Sleep Medicine, as well as opportunities to engage with industry, and many other fascinating events.

As an organisation, the WFSA believes in sharing knowledge to improve education globally, and what better way of doing this than bringing more than 9,000 people from around the world together to talk about anaesthesiology!

In 2012 the WCA was in Buenos Aires and, with around 10,000 delegates, had the largest number of participants to date. Among them were the awardees of the WFSA-Baxter Scholarships, as well as scholars funded by national anaesthesia societies in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Japan and Norway.

These young scholars had access to hundreds of lectures and workshops on the latest techniques in anaesthesia, and were able to learn from leading anaesthesiologists in different specialities.
It is clear from their feedback that attending the Congress has had an invaluable effect on their careers, and in turn, has had a positive effect on healthcare in the low and middle income counties they work in.

In his account of the Congress, Dr Deepak Tamang from Bhutan eloquently expressed what happened over the course of the five day event and what the scholarship meant to him:

“I was lucky to have been selected by the WFSA for the award of international scholar by Baxter.
Right from the day I was awarded the scholarship, I was very excited to be the first anaesthesiologist from my country, to ever attend the WCA.

The organisers had taken great care in providing the best accommodation near the Congress venue in Buenos Aires, where most of the sponsored candidates were lodged, so I got chance to meet them before the Congress and we became good friends. Arrangements at the Congress venue were superb too.

The WCA was like a very big festival attended by more than nine thousand participants. WFSA staff were very supportive and helpful in guiding the participants to more than twelve lecture halls and five workshop stations every day. Discussions on cutting edge technology and new advances in anaesthesiology were very educational and thought provoking. It was a wonderful opportunity to exchange scientific ideas and knowledge.

Meeting renowned faculty members and other anaesthesiologists was the opportunity of a lifetime. I spent most of my time in the Paediatric Anaesthesia and Regional Anaesthesia halls, which are two of my main areas of interest. I was mesmerised to listen to the great speakers, who are also authors of my favourite books!

I was also privileged to get a very good platform to introduce my work and my country to the World Congress.

It was a wonderful meeting all the Scholars who came from different countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America, and we shared our experiences in anaesthesia practice back in our own countries. Special friendships developed between the Scholars, who were from sixteen countries. It was fascinating to learn how we can deliver the best services despite limited resources. We have promised to keep in touch with each other and share our experiences in future, so that we build lasting relationships with each other.

Not only I have returned home as more educated anaesthesiologist, and earned CME credits, but also having made many friends world over.”

--Dr Deepak Tamang, Anaesthesiologist, Bhutan

The deadline for the WFSA-Baxter scholarship for the WCA 2016 is Tuesday 15th March 2016. If you are interested in applying, or if you would like more information, please click here.