Valerie's Travels
A funny thing happened whilst your boss was away at a conference
What is the difference between God and Professor Sir Donald Harrison? God is everywhere – Sir Donald is everywhere except at the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital! This was a common joke about Sir Donald, who was much...
Why one should not be seduced into organising a conference
Having enjoyed yourself at so many meetings, it may strike you or be suggested to you by ‘friends’, that it would be a good idea to organise an international conference. Think of the kudos, the fame, the financial gain for...
A woman in a man’s world
Being one of the few women professors of surgery in the world for most of my career inevitably led to some amusing situations. When I was first invited to the Middle East in the 1990s, I accepted primarily to see...
Chairmen, chairwomen and other persons
It is the lot of all academic clinicians to be called upon to chair or moderate the various sessions that take place at the multitudinous conferences we attend. Sometimes one is simply there to maintain order or to impose good...
