Integrative Epidemiology LLC

Back from Athens

I just returned from a fantastic trip to Athens and the Greek Island of Kos. My husband attended the 7th annual Critical Care and Emergency Medicine meeting in Athens, Greece from May 29 – May 30.

After the conference, some of the speakers were taken on two-day excursion to Kos, which was the birthplace of Hippocrates. The intensive care doctors participated in a re-enactment of the Hippocratic oath under Hippocrates plane tree. Then our group also visited the archaeological site of Asclepieion which was one of the first hospitals, church and medical school and where Hippocrates developed the practice of medicine. What an experience!

This particular group of doctors had been discussing critical care practice on their internet digest for years and finally got to meet each other in person. The meeting host, Dr. Antonios Liolios, became our Kos tour guide and took us to Diamond beach (with gorgeous Mediterranean waters), numerous Greek tavernas where we ate lots of fish, saw sunsets and had a day-long boat cruise exploring more Greek islands.

The typically serious and workaholic nature of these doctors was beaten into submission by the second day of the trip whereby they were forced to relax under the warm sun and in the Aegean sea and eat and drink as the Greeks do!  As with many conferences, such experiences facilitate great conversations (science and otherwise) and allow for the development of strong connections and potential collaborations between scientists.  A video clip of some of the adventures of our tour can be seen here.  (website link TBA)