The social side of Annual Conference

For a first year, with no experience with the BPSA, or pretty much anything beyond my university, attending conference was a bold move. To me it seemed that way anyway, arriving in Durham for a week where I had no idea what to expect. Leaving Durham the following Sunday it is no exaggeration to say that I had experienced one of the best weeks of my professional career to date. But what was most pleasantly surprising was not the wealth of pharmaceutical knowledge and aptitude, the beautiful scenery of Durham cathedral, or even shaping the policies for the Association. It was getting to know so many brilliant people, each with fascinating opinions and a desire to share them.

The social side of conference is not to be underestimated and overlooked. Every event was organised superbly and gave everybody a real opportunity to learn more from each other of our ideas, experiences, aspirations and, dare I say it, failures. There was something unique about conducting a treasure hunt whilst learning about EPSA conferences, or debating current football at a Boots quiz. Attending Annual Conference opened my eyes to just how good being a pharmacist can be, and this is thanks in no small part to each and every member of the delegation or executive who spared me the time of day to get to know me.

 There is no better expression of this than the elections that take place at the end of conference, where it was an honour to be involved in proposing not only a good friend from university but somebody who I met only that week, who I am sure I will go on to develop a very good relationship with at future events. One of the most important lessons conference taught me is this: regardless of what you believe, there is one thing we can all believe in – each other. Share your thoughts, and listen to others. I hope to see you in Keele!