News and views from the EMSAS Chair
A huge hello to you all,
It’s wonderful to once again share some great news and invite you all to get involved with the College. In this update, I have some important events for you to register for so we can meet up, learn and network, a few progressive EMSAS developments to share, and an invite to get involved in SAS Week on 14-18 October.
SAS Week
Let’s begin with a brilliant reason to celebrate – SAS Week! This is our opportunity to share the passion of our members far and wide, and I want this year to be even bigger than the last when we created a SAS Week Journal.
I know that many of you want to share the joys of our work and encourage the next generations of doctors, and this is the perfect time to do that as, with RCEM’s support, sharing your videos or writing for us has never been easier. For more details, please contact emsas@rcem.ac.uk at your earliest convenience and with as much room before the end of September as possible so we can edit and publish everything.
EMSAS RCEM events
Another reason I’m counting down the days is because of the EMSAS RCEM events. This year’s EMSAS Conference, which has a superb speaker line-up, is being held in Scarborough on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 November and is a hybrid event. You can join us virtually or attend onsite at the Crown Spa Hotel venue, so don’t miss out! It will be great to see as many of you there as possible for a few exciting days of knowledge sharing and networking.
Have you also got your Annual Scientific Conference tickets? As well as the huge range of interesting Emergency Medicine talks happening from 8 – 10 October, an important part of the conference for us is the EMSAS session on Day One, which features four speakers you absolutely do not want to miss.
Dr Jo-Anna Robson will be presenting ‘Trauma, pain and Parkinson’s’, followed by Dr Lara Menon with ‘Lessons from multiprofessional simulation: There’s something for everyone’ and then ‘Shaping the culture of PoCUS training in the ED’ will be jointly presented by Dr Qazi Zia Ullah and Dr Amr Elhelaly before a panel Q&A with all the speakers. It’s going to be extremely insightful.
The event will be virtual and face-to-face (F2F) in Gateshead, with F2F registration closing at 23:59 (BST) on Monday 30 September so be sure to book before then.
Membership by election
After receiving feedback for the application process for membership by election, it was clear that many eligible associate members were being discouraged from applying due to it being quite technical. We have since collaborated with our membership and website teams to streamline the process, and I’m thrilled to report that these improvements have led to a significant increase in applications. EMSAS is committed to making membership accessible and rewarding for all, so if you have any further suggestions for change then please get in contact with us.
AoMRC SAS Committee
In another exciting development, I’ve been asked to serve as the Vice Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) SAS Committee. The AoMRC plays a crucial role in setting national strategy and direction for doctors in the UK, with all Royal Colleges and UK Faculties Presidents being part of its council. This new role offers EMSAS and RCEM a fantastic opportunity to have a greater impact on the professional careers of SAS doctors. While I currently attend only the SAS Committee meetings, I look forward to participating in AoMRC meetings and exploring how we can influence agendas and drive positive change.
Trustee Board Member
In April 2024, my role as EMSAS Chair expanded after I was appointed to the RCEM Council as a Trustee Board Member. The College Trustee Board, established in 2021, comprises of council trustees, member trustees, and lay trustees, and now I have the privilege of representing you as a part of it. My first trustee board meeting in June was a wonderful experience, where I was warmly welcomed by the existing trustees. Extensive training with our legal team and one-on-one sessions with RCEM’s CEO, Gordon Miles, and President, Dr Adrian Boyle, have equipped me with a deep understanding of my role and I’m excited to contribute to our mission and governance.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement. I want to see as many of you as possible sharing your inspiring stories for SAS Week. Whether you get involved or not, continue to wear your SAS badges with pride and let’s have a big celebration together during SAS Week or at one of RCEM’s events soon.
Best wishes,
Dr Immad Qureshi, EMSAS Chair
Hello,
It’s exciting to share with all of you what has been happening with EMSAS in this new blog. I had the honour of becoming your representative on RCEM’s Council after taking over leadership of EMSAS at the end of last year from the previous Chair, Dr Steve Black. I took part in an interview after becoming chair (pictured), which you will find on the EMSAS homepage as well as more information about our forum.
In April this year, I was also appointed by the Council to the Trustee Board. These positions in RCEM give me a brilliant opportunity to develop membership for all of you and I look forward to meeting with even more of this community at the EMSAS Conference and interacting online through our WhatsApp space. If you want to know more about joining then please feel free to email me at emsas@rcem.ac.uk.
Our main way to get together as a collective to engage with each other and to have the opportunity to receive specific learning is via the annual EMSAS Conference. This year’s event is being held in Scarborough on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 November and is a hybrid event so delegates can join virtually or attend onsite at the Crown Spa Hotel venue. We would love to see you there in-person so you can take advantage of the networking opportunities (and social event), but if you can’t make it to Scarborough then we’ve got you covered with the option to attend virtually too.
As a RCEM member you will save £200 when registering for the conference at member rates. The two-day conference will include keynote sessions, CPD focussed talks to refresh your knowledge as well as updates from the RCEM President and the EMSAS Executive committee.
Become a Member by Election
Members of the College who meet the criteria can apply for the various regional and College representative roles. This not only gives you the opportunity to be supporting the leadership of Committee groups devoted to different aspects of working in Emergency Medicine but also gives us as SAS doctors a larger platform to create positive change in our specialty.
Apply now or for further information or any help with applying please email membership@rcem.ac.uk.
What we are currently working on:
An exciting rest of the year is in store for EMSAS members and I will keep providing you with updates on the progress of all the above as we roll out the changes. Until my next feature in the Your College News newsletter, keep in touch by following our socials, send a request to join our WhatsApp community and register for the EMSAS Conference.
Best wishes,
Dr Immad Qureshi, EMSAS Chair
