Today we're pleased to share our most recent Q&A about attendee experiences at global immunology meetings. Education is an essential part of our mission, and we are honored to provide grants that support travel as part of our WINRN program.
Rachael Scott, DNP, received a WINRN grant to support her attendance at the Clinical Society for Immunology (CIS) meeting this past May. We hope you enjoy our interview!
Please share a brief overview of your career and current work. What made you interested in immunology?
My career in healthcare began in 2012 as a Registered Nurse. I initially cared for adult transplant patients and then transitioned to pediatrics as an Operating Room circulator. In 2017, I joined the transplant team as a Pediatric Renal Transplant Coordinator. During my time with the team, I sought to further my education and graduated in 2022 with my Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with a focus on Primary Care. I was fortunate to join Dr. Chaimowitz’s Immunology team in October 2022.
When I reflect on my healthcare career, there have always been threads of immunology connecting and guiding patient treatment and outcomes. Working alongside the transplant team coupled with my advanced education only provided a superficial look into the realm of immunology. I wanted to take a deep dive and learn about clinical immunology and how it applies across various patient populations. Additionally, the Immunology department is actively engaged across the hospital system and specialties, part of a larger community functioning as a multidisciplinary team.
Why did you want to attend CIS?
As a new member of the Immunology community, I sought to participate in an international conference that would allow me to learn about the latest advances and current research in the field. Additionally, attending CIS afforded me the opportunity to interact with colleagues from different parts of the world. CIS gathers the most renowned clinicians and scientists who work in the latest advances in clinical management, genetics, and pathophysiology of Clinical Immunology.
What was your biggest takeaway from attending CIS?
In my opinion, attending lectures, seminars and poster presentations covering various topics related to clinical advances and networking with colleagues were the most valuable parts of CIS. The key message for me was that establishing collaborative networks is of essential importance in the care of rare primary immunodeficiencies. I believe I may have been one of the few Immunology Nurse Practitioners at the conference; it was an absolute pleasure to be welcomed to such a rapidly growing and thriving community.
How will you take what you learned at the CIS conference and apply it to your daily work? Is there a specific research effort or development in the field of immunology that you’re particularly excited about?
Attending the sessions for ReThymic/ thymus transplantation were truly eye opening. The hospital I serve is working to become a future site for transplant and dually aim for JMF designation in order to close the gap between diagnosis and transplant. Right now, patients here in the US are passing away before gaining insurance approval for thymus transplants.
Do you have any advice for first-time conference attendees?
Prepare to be welcomed by a thriving and compassionate community. There are so many sessions to choose from, you could easily be engaged from early in the morning until late in the evening. Bring a laptop or pen and paper so you can follow along with the lectures and retain information. I always had my phone ready to snap an image of a slide I felt was vital to my understanding of the material.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your career?
Watching our patients grow and refuse to allow their immune deficiency to define them or dictate their path in life. Observing patients set goals and achieve their dreams. The patients and their families keep me fueled ready to learn, diagnose, treat, and advocate.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our community?
First, I must emphasize the opportunities that these grants provide. Given the various ongoing economic crises that continue to affect the healthcare community on a global scale, financial aid is of absolute importance to promote collaborative networks and boost education of young health professionals. Without the assistance of the Jeffrey Modell Foundation, these events, advancements, and positive outcomes would not exist.