Stefanyk Kelsey, Castro-Varela Alejandra, Mourad Nicolas, Vervoort Dominique
Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
Ann Thorac Surg Short Rep. 2023 Aug 28;1(4):707-712. doi: 10.1016/j.atssr.2023.07.020. eCollection 2023 Dec.
Conferences are valuable platforms for academic discourse. However, trainees, individuals with lower income backgrounds, and attendees from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) often face significant financial barriers that may limit accessibility to conferences. This study evaluates fees for attending international cardiac surgery conferences to better understand potential financial barriers.
Registration fees for 2022-2023 international cardiac surgery conferences were analyzed. Fees were categorized on the basis of the career stage and society member status of the attendee. Other data collected included the meeting's subspecialty, location, availability of discounts, and virtual components.
Seventeen conferences were identified. Discounts are widely available for students, residents, and fellows attending cardiac surgery conferences in 2022-2023. Society member students' fees ranged from US $0 to $390 (median, US $15; interquartile range [IQR], $0-$198). Society member residents' and fellows' fees ranged from US $0 to $795 (median, US $200; IQR, $75-$390). Society member staff's fees ranged from US $200 to $802 (median, US $545; IQR, $441-$608). Four conferences (23.5%) explicitly mentioned discounts for LMIC attendees, whereas 5 conferences (29.4%) mentioned virtual components.
Conference fees remain substantial for trainees and LMIC participants, who are respectively burdened with tuition costs and lower incomes and purchasing powers. Conferences should explore avenues to reduce financial barriers to provide more equitable opportunities for current and future generations of cardiac surgeons.
会议是学术交流的重要平台。然而，实习生、低收入背景的个人以及来自低收入和中等收入国家（LMICs）的参会者常常面临巨大的经济障碍，这可能会限制他们参加会议的机会。本研究评估了参加国际心脏外科会议的费用，以便更好地了解潜在的经济障碍。
分析了2022 - 2023年国际心脏外科会议的注册费用。费用根据参会者的职业阶段和学会会员身份进行分类。收集的其他数据包括会议的亚专业、地点、是否有折扣以及虚拟会议部分。
共确定了17场会议。2022 - 2023年参加心脏外科会议的学生、住院医师和研究员可广泛享受折扣。学会会员学生的费用从0美元到390美元不等（中位数为15美元；四分位间距[IQR]为0美元至198美元）。学会会员住院医师和研究员的费用从0美元到795美元不等（中位数为200美元；IQR为75美元至390美元）。学会会员工作人员的费用从200美元到802美元不等（中位数为545美元；IQR为441美元至608美元）。有4场会议（23.5%）明确提到为来自低收入和中等收入国家的参会者提供折扣，而有5场会议（29.4%）提到了虚拟会议部分。
对于实习生和来自低收入和中等收入国家的参会者来说，会议费用仍然很高，他们分别承担着学费成本以及较低的收入和购买力。会议应探索降低经济障碍的途径，为当代和未来的心脏外科医生提供更公平的机会。
