17 May 2023
At PCR, it’s all about people!
Words from the new #EuroPCR Core Team
EuroPCR – the 2023 edition – has been prepared with a new Core Team. Indeed, Jean Fajadet and William Wijns invited three new Course Directors to join them in this role at the end of last year. It was all part of a general reorganisation of PCR’s structure, during which new talents and members of the next generation were injected across the whole PCR Family.
Joining PCR Chairman William Wijns and Co-Chairman Jean Fajadet as EuroPCR Course Directors are Thomas Cuisset, Nicolas Dumonteil and Nieves Gonzalo.
“One of the advantages of recruiting younger colleagues as Course Directors is that they bring fresh blood, unique qualities and a novel outlook. With new leaders and new expertise, we are also able to expand the different topics that can be included in courses and educational offerings. I was fortunate to meet and work alongside Professor Jean Marco, who encouraged me to express my opinion of the EuroPCR programme and we would like the new Course Directors to do the same. We hope they will facilitate the launch of a new generation of interventional cardiologists.”
“These three individuals were specifically selected because of their brilliant minds, their clarity in communication with others and their work ethic, but more important still is their ability to share what we refer to as ‘the PCR spirit’. This is sharing knowledge, experience and what we have learned, not just with colleagues, but with the entire interventional cardiology community. I believe these qualities are present in abundance in the new Course Directors, which will no doubt help evolve the course in future years.”
“Companionship and mentorship are at the heart of the EuroPCR Course and are evident among the attendees, and so it is only natural that the same should be true at the Course Director level”
Meet the new EuroPCR Course Directors
We’ve taken the opportunity to ask the three new EuroPCR Course Directors about their career and past experience at PCR, and about their life outside interventional cardiology too. Read on to get to know them better!
How and when did you decide to become an interventional cardiologist?
The choice of cardiology came very early, in the 2nd or 3rd year of medical school. Within 6 or 12 months of starting my position as a resident in cardiology in 2001, I decided on interventional cardiology. What I really liked is that it’s a hybrid position between the surgeon working mainly with his hands, and let’s say the ‘non-interventional’ doctor who will mainly follow patients and prescribe medication. At the time I did not expect the field to become what it is today. Back then, it was only about coronary interventions. Now, probably half of the week is on structural and valvular disease. So I am even more spoilt than I expected to be!
How did you first become involved with PCR?
The involvement began in 2006/2007 when I was a Fellow in Aalst with William Wijns so my journey and commitment to PCR started when I was very young. Some of my first steps were with Jean Marco, as I took part in building the first PCR Seminars and Learning Guide.
What was your reaction when you were invited to be a Course Director?
To be completely honest, I had mixed feelings! Of course, the first was gratitude because I was proud to have been asked. But I also felt a little bit of pressure, because I knew it was a huge responsibility. I decided that if Nieves, Nicolas and myself had been chosen, it was no doubt for a good reason, and I accepted with a lot of enthusiasm!
How has being a Course Director changed your everyday life?
All three of us have had to make space in our already busy agendas. We have weekly Course Director meetings, and almost every month a physical meeting with the Board. As the event approaches, the workload further increases, with for example, final preparation calls with LIVE centres, and for the Learning and sponsored sessions. There’s much to do, but it’s a great pleasure that comes with a great responsibility.
What do you do in your spare time?
Above all, I try to spend as much time as I can with my three beautiful daughters of 10, 5 and 4 and my wonderful wife. I travel with them as much as possible, to develop my kids’ curiosity. This is the main quality I’d really like to transmit to them: to be curious about different countries, people and ways of living.
How did you become involved with PCR?
The first time was in 2009, when I was selected to present a TAVI case that I’d submitted. I was happy but totally terrified at the idea of presenting my work for the very first time in English, at an international course! After being a presenter, I was invited to be a facilitator, and then over the years I did the ViTAL training programme, became a member of the programme committee, then the board, and am now a Course Director. So I would say it’s been a gradual progression that is full of hope for people. My experience means it’s possible for everyone, and I hope it’s reassuring for younger colleagues who may be shy and worried about presenting at EuroPCR for the first time.
What are the challenges of being a Course Director?
The first challenge is to fully understand the scope of the job. Obviously, there are scientific attributions, but there are also diplomatic tasks where you need to be in the actual position to learn. I’m so grateful to Jean Fajadet and William Wijns for being our mentors, because the role is not something you can invent from scratch; it needs to be transmitted. This is where the word ‘companions’ – one of the core concepts of the PCR universe – takes on all its meaning. We are companions at all stages of our career, and that’s the beauty of it.
Do you have any hobbies or a hidden talent?
I have hobbies, but unfortunately not really a hidden talent! Sport has always been a part of my lifestyle. Like many young boys in south-west France, my first sport was rugby, which I played until I got injured at age 25, and realised it was not really feasible to play as you get older. So I looked for another sport with the same level of intensity and involvement, because for me the interest when learning a new sport is acquiring a new technique, and there’s a parallel maybe here with interventional cardiology. And so, 10 years ago I took up English boxing, and since then I’ve been practising every week. It has a lot of positive effects for my daily practice. It fosters endurance and makes you physically stronger. You suffer less from fatigue when you are doing long or difficult interventions, and your mind is better able to focus on what you are doing. I’m also in the early phase of learning to surf, which I must say is quite difficult, but a real pleasure too!
What are the satisfactions of being a Course Director?
I feel really honoured to be part of the great team that makes EuroPCR possible. I believe the course organisation has made a huge effort to understand the real needs of the community of interventional cardiologists around the world and try to provide them with tools to help them in their daily practice. EuroPCR has achieved a very distinct position as an educational experience that can be transformative for our colleagues, and I feel really privileged to be part of that project.
How do you see the future of continuing education in your field?
An important part of our future job will be to keep all the elements that have made EuroPCR successful and a big component of it is a continuous search for innovation in education. This means finding the content and formats that are more capable of providing the colleagues with the learning experience they need.
In the last years we have discovered new possibilities to bring the EuroPCR experience to more colleagues through the digital environment. This has also provided opportunities to make the course more interactive than ever even when some of our colleagues were thousands of miles away. Technology will also make other types of learning such as simulation more and more relevant in the future. Personally, I believe that education in interventional cardiology has an exciting future with many possibilities for innovation and collaborations, always with the objective of helping the cardiovascular community to improve patient care.
Where’s your favourite place to be on your day off work, and why?
My favourite place to be on my day off work is in my little house close to the mountains in Madrid. I really enjoy contact with nature and taking care of my garden. It is a relaxing atmosphere where I can enjoy time with my family and friends.
What do you do during the rare moments of free time during a Course?
I do not think I will have any free time this year! The course is a great opportunity to meet friends from all over the world that I have made through the years. That is one of the most enriching parts of onsite meetings and something we should always try to take advantage of.