Being an Emerging Professional at the e-Health Conference: Discover your e-Health World

Alex Lee is an Emerging Professional and previous recipient of the Steven Huesing Scholarship. His many roles include serving as President & CEO of eHealthCareers, as well as working with several healthcare start-ups across Canada.

As April showers bring May flowers, the summer conference season descends upon us. So, emerging professionals, you have to make some tough choices as to how to spend your valuable time and limited resources. You have undoubtedly been bombarded with advertising for various conferences, one of which is e-Health 2015: Making Connections.

So why bother going to e-Health 2015, besides the fact that the conference is Canada’s only national e-Health conference and trade show? Being an emerging professional myself I’ve gone the past two years and this year I’m going back for thirds! Here’s why.

Networking, Networking and More Networking!
You should always be networking! You will not find a more first-rate gathering of executives and influencers in Canada’s eHealth industry than at the e-Health Conference. Whether at the many social events, trade show floor, or the Canadian Health Informatics Awards (CHIA) Gala, there are plenty of opportunities to expand your network and make meaningful connections to the larger e-Health world. (Check the program for details.)

Discovering the Unknown Unknowns
No matter the amount of training, experience, mentoring or research you have, there are going to be many things at the conference you know little about, and, even better, you are going to discover things you had no clue that existed – those “unknown unknowns.” Take, for example, Hacking Health, an organization that brings together health professionals and technologists to work together to prototype and problem-solve new ways to deliver healthcare. Did you even know this organization existed? Yes, it is a real thing and has been around for several years now with events across Canada and internationally. Furthermore, this year Hacking Health is partnering with the Ontario Telemedicine Network for the e-Health 2015 Hacking Health Design Challenge. Find out more at http://www.e-healthconference.com/hacking-health

You Gotta Play to Win
This lottery saying could not be truer than about the e-Health Conference and finding opportunities. After founding eHealthCareers in 2014, we made it a point to go the e-Health Conference in Vancouver and I came back saying this: “I went to other side of the country just so I could meet people and create opportunities for my local area.” Whether you believe in blind luck or chaos theory, the e-Health Conference is one of those rare occasions where being in the right place at the right time happens.

The Swag
Taking off for several days and galavanting around the e-Health Conference may earn you the ire of your significant other, boss, children or all of the above if you’re unlucky. Fortunately there is some great swag you can get at the conference to help mitigate this. Take this cute little critter above, for example, adorable enough to melt even the coldest of shoulders!

One last piece of advice, take the time and splurge on the extras: take part in the pre-conference symposiums (including the Taste of HI COACH eHIP Symposium), celebrate achievements at CHIA Gala and have fun at the after parties. Take in and experience all the e-Health conference has to offer before life can’t afford you the opportunity to do so.

Don't forget for students and COACH members there are some great discounted rates just for you as well as some cost and time effective options to participate for specific parts of the e-Health conference.

Learn more about the e-Health Conference http://www.e-healthconference.com/.
Follow the conference on Twitter at @eHealth_2015 & #eHealth15.

Need more convincing or have a comment?
Contact me: Alex Lee alex@eHealthCareers.ca