Every doctor out there will likely attend at least a couple of conferences a year. It’s part of the job, a great chance to get away from the daily grind of clinical practice, and brush up on the latest knowledge and new developments from your specialty.

One thing that clinicians are not so good at, though, especially compared with other professions, is using conferences as a highly effective networking tool.

It’s a huge wasted opportunity if doctors don’t take advantage of this, because those who are good at it, regularly find things, from amazing job offers and new career opportunities, to interesting research projects, and high-level institutional collaborations.

And the key is to get out and talk to as many fellow colleagues as possible.