Go back to the main website | This is the 2020 edition archive
The team behind SURGICON
Andrei Crețu
President
There was a time when they used to call operating rooms an "operating theater". It still feels like one. Scores of people get ready for the show. Sets are arranged. There are costumes. Masks. Props. Everything has to be rehearsed, choreographed. All leading up until the moment the curtain goes up. Now it is time to raise the curtain for SURGICON 2020!
First and foremost, I want to wish you all a very warm welcome to the most expected event of the year! If you are reading this, you have already made the first step towards a flourishing career: striving towards a better self. Among students, medical congresses are holiday-like events, as everyone expects them breathlessly. So when we decided to take this novel idea even further, fully aware of the difficult times we have been living in for the past few months, we thought of all the students who have been craving a congress dedicated only to surgery and, maybe even more importantly, we felt the desire to go back to what we all perceive as normal in the medical field.
Not only is SURGICON the first surgical congress for students throughout Europe, but it is also going to be a state-of-the-art surgical event. I vouch for lectures on the latest breakthroughs, given by world-renowned surgeons, as well as high-quality, hands-on workshops that cover all the surgical specialties. It is my belief that only by getting to know the top of the top, can one be inspired to pursue a path towards perfection. Hence, I urge you to be brave and start your scientific journey as early as you can, by taking part in our Scientific Competition, conceived not only as an opportunity for you to deepen your knowledge in a field of your choice, but also as the perfect reason to spark academic debates between peers.
At the same time, Bucharest provides an extremely culturally rich environment and our social activities will not let your inner artist down. Our non-academic events willvonce again focus on exploring the intertwined aspects of surgery and art, this time by taking a closer look to the contemporary and, thus, a rather modern approach.
I am more than thrilled to welcome you this October in Bucharest and, lastly, congratulations for deciding to be a part of this event!
See you at SURGICON!
Maria Vişan
Communications Vicepresident
There are two types of people: the ones who know from the beginning and the ones who know by trial and error.
I knew it from the beginning: the thrill, the sounds, the smell, the adrenaline, the will to help, the rushing heartbeats. The perfect receipe for what made me wish to become a surgeon.
Surgicon 2019 will give you just a glimpse of that. The ABC of what you can experience behind the doors of an OR. Us, students, we must learn the ropes of medical life before we have the chance to take the leading role in any medical act. And what better way to start learning than by hearing the stories of renowned surgeons from all over the world and practicing yourself the basic techniques in surgery? If you already know you want to become a surgeon, then this is the playing field. If you don’t, it’s the perfect opportunity to test the waters. Maybe you’ll fall in love with it, just like I did.
The Registrations department will be your guide. We are the first people to jump and answer your uncertainties and needs. Don’t be afraid to contact us, we may not know the answer right away, but we’ll surely make the best efforts to make sure you’re perfectly informed and enthusiastic about the event. We are the walking info points!
We hope to give you all: a chance to practice, to educate yourselves, to engage in fruitful debates and conversations, to get to know each other and us and to go home with the desire to come back for more. It will be a hands-on experience in any aspect you may imagine!
Andrei Iacob
Scientific Vicepresident
They say "speaking in public" is the greatest fear of mankind. Before I held my first scientific presentation at a congress, this was all I could think of and it took every bit of courage I had in order not to give up. To this day, it has been the best decision I ever took!
The world of surgery is not all about cutting and sewing, nor is the world of public speaking a place to be feared. Here at SURGICON 2019, we aim to combine the overwhelming emotions of presenting your ideas to a public with the challenging work of researching a clinical case or building an original study from the ground up. For those of you who are more daring, we have also prepared debate sessions, where you can show your persuasion skills on some of the most disputed surgical topics.
Of course, we could never do this alone, so we have invited pioneers in every surgical domain to hold conferences and inspire you with their stories! There is something prepared for everyone to experience and we hope you enjoy SURGICON, the celebration of academic surgery!
Ada Tabacu
Treasurer
This is the first step of becoming part of the beautiful experience that SURGICON is going to be. I am really glad about the interest students express about the event in which we pour our hearts, our time and all our good thoughts to make it an interesting, useful and exciting experience.
Our initiative was born as a result of the bigger and bigger number of students who wanted to participate at our activities and we thought: “Why don’t we make an event that can show the principles of how we work: spreading knowledge, creating friendships, having fun together?!”.
Of course, I really believe in this project since I decided to take this responsibility to take care of the mon€y, but it is an activity that I do with great pleasure, not only because it prepares me for the future (meaning that as a doctor you should be prepared to take great responsibility and deal with stress), but also because it’s a good opportunity to meet really cool people and make new friends who share your interests.
For me it has been a beautiful journey from the first “Knots and Sutures” workshop that I attended and where I suspected myself of having two left hands and thought that knots were too out of my league, to the present when I am honored to be in the Organizing Committee of SURGICON. Some people may be naturally skilled at something and others may need to practise more, but either way, the process of becoming better and better is really exciting.
I hope that you will enjoy the activities we prepared for you: hands-on workshops, conferences, debates on surgical matters, parties and, of course, a lot of fun and I can’t wait to meet you in October!
Iulia Andrei
General Secretary
If you were to use a word to describe your life as a medical student, what would it be? Mine would be Adventure. The thrill of discovering and living something new every day, the adrenaline, the people, the fear and yet excitement for what the future holds.
There are some people that know for sure how their life will turn out to be, but for the rest of us, we are just following a yellow brick road to an unknown destination. This is the best time to try all the possibilities, allow yourself to experience new things, embark on the SURGICON 2020 journey. Who knows, you might discover your true calling!
My name is Iulia-Alexandra Andrei and I am the General Secretary for both RSSS and SURGICON. Alongside my colleagues and the entire volunteering team we hope to create for all of you an experience you’ll never forget. Being a volunteer is all about giving, helping, working hard for the best outcome. And this is what SURGICON 2020 and RSSS are all about. We are not just a group of medical students; we are a family with a big dream and a lot of passion.
Everything we do is for you, the excited, adventurous medical students and nothing will make us happier than having you join us. No matter the destination, this is adventure time!
Laura Grigoraş
Fundraising
When it comes to passions, I have to say that my greatest passion is represented by interpersonal relationships. It seems fascinating to me how a team of only a few people can create results that hundreds can enjoy, how we start as strangers and end up being friends and how people you share every day experiences with can greatly influence your life.
Fundraising has learned me many things about people: what they want, how they think, or what expectations they have. I can hardly wait to meet each of you, the participants of the Surgicon congress, and to have the opportunity to learn new things from you.
The key to making progress is to recognize how to take that very first step. Then you start your journey. A great stop on your scientific journey can be Surgicon!
I wish you an authentic experience!
Ana Ilași
Fundraising
“Do what you love and love what you do”
As future physicians we love humans and we love taking care of them, but did you find what specialty you would love to do?
Even if you are at the begging of your road or you already know your path but you want extra practice in that field then SURGICON is perfect for you. Come and see the secrets and the beauty behind the many surgical specialties as hands-on workshops, listen and learn from the conferences held by doctors who excel in their field, have fun and socialize at our parties, turn this experience in a life lesson that would guide you to your future job.
My name is Ana Ilasi and I coordinate the Fundraising Department together with my friend Laura Grigoras. I consider myself lucky because I’m madly in love with the surgical field and this passion brought me to RSSS, where I love volunteering in a community where friends become family.
Fell in love with surgery at SURGICON!
Cezara Pavelescu
Graphic Design
What is it that makes us enjoy life and truly appreciate its wonder?
Art, of course! In all its forms, from music to design to masterful surgical techniques, art is an essential spice of life.
Our reasons for choosing medicine vary greatly: from wanting to learn, to doing good, to changing the world, to helping people. It isn't always easy, the effort sometimes overshadows the passion, so we often forget to see the beauty of what we dedicated our lives to.
I truly believe that everyone should enjoy living life to the fullest, through all the great experiences but also through all the tiny details, which is why every part of Surgicon received a great deal of attention and care, so that the participants' experience will not only be productive but also pleasant.
As my journey has led me to understand and appreciate the art of medicine and, even more than that, surgery, I invite you all to have a taste of marvel during Surgicon 2020!
Vlad-Romeo Mihalcea
Human Resources
Surgery. What comes to your mind when you hear this word? To me, it is more than just a bunch of specialties. To me, this word is rich in meanings: art, passion, dedication, and, most importantly, self-teaching. I’ve wanted to learn surgery since high school. Becoming a member of the RSSS family has given me the great opportunity of starting my surgical journey while getting to meet amazing people with the same passion as mine. The beginning may be tough but then everything becomes natural and you become able to teach other people and get to feel how amazing is that at the end of the day you shared the practical parts with your input. I still remember my first RSSS workshop like it was yesterday and it brings back the amazement of how expertly everyone was explaining those complex terms.
Everything I do, I put effort into it and to me, Surgicon is one of the projects I’ve dedicated my time mostly. We all do this in a friendly environment always laughing and yet not sliding from the track. By this event the RSSS family invites you to feel and share our spirit.
Now we challenge you to define surgery for yourself and we want to help with that. We offer you SURGICON. We want to share with you the joy of our hands-on workshops while learning about innovations in surgery at the conferences with World-renowned surgeons from around the globe.
Adrian-Cătălin Pîrvu
IT
Hi everyone!
My name is Adrian-Cătălin Pîrvu and I am the IT Department Coordinator for SURGICON 2020.
I fell in love with volunteering and especially with the RSSS. That is where I found myself surrounded by friends who soon became my second family and who taught me everything they knew so that I can pass that knowledge down to the next generation, just how they did with me.
That is what all of us are trying to do by organising SURGICON 2020, and we can promise you that we will give our very best so that each and everyone of you can experience the same things that we have and that made us fall in love with surgery and volunteering.
We promise you that you will not be dissapointed, so I say it's high time we get to work and start learning practical things, not only theoretical ones!
Raluca-Mihaela Roșoagă
Logistics
Hello, everyone! My name is Mihaela-Raluca Rosoaga (my friends call me Micky or Raluk) and I am one of the Logistics Department Coordinators for both RSSS and SURGICON 2020.
If I wanted to describe myself in a few words, I would say that I am an ambitious, self-made, work alcoholic but down to earth person. I like to balance professional & party life. Professional life gives you exposure, confidence & sense of achievement. But fun life is intriguing, spontaneous and makes you feel the moment while spending with your friends. I enjoy life to the fullest & love humour.
What I haven't said earlier is that I love volunteering and I think that one of the greatest gifts you can give is your time. I fell in love with RSSS when I realised that I'm always surrounded by nice, friendly people who became my family.
This is how I want people to feel when they decide to participate at a congress we're so involved in, called SURGICON 2020.
Also, our department, the Logistics department, will be mostly undercover, but be ready anytime to see people around, carrying a lot of things like surgical materials for the events!
See you there!
Tiberiu-Marian Vasile
Logistics
I love football. The goal of a team is to win the match after 90 minutes, but this sport taught me that it is about every single minute and that if we break our dream into pieces, we will find the path to it - that is consistency. It also applies in our medical journey where every moment is a build-up for our future version of ourselves and I think that SURGICON 2020 will be another piece for your puzzle.
Why?
It is a cocktail made of adrenaline, science, a world of hands-on surgical workshops and unforgettable parties in Bucharest. I dare you to take a sip of that.
My name is Tiberiu-Marian Vasile and I am one of the Logistics Department Coordinators for both RSSS and SURGICON 2020. My team and I will provide all the materials needed for the proper functioning of the events that you experience during congress time. If you see someone with some boxes in their hands and on their head it is not a monster, just one member of the Logistics team.
Let the SURGICON games begin!
Andrușa Harabagiu
Public Relations
I believe complex journeys have to be quite multilateral, so I decided to give mine a side of team spirit and passionate work, along with these amazing people I've encountered in the RSSS circle. Energetic minds and a specific sense of belonging to their mutual mission are, in my opinion, representative for the RSSS folks. Last year they decided to extend these values in order to help more of the medical student community get closer to what surgery actually means, with the help of the first edition of Surgicon - I feel really proud to help strengthen this idea this year and sincerely hope in every of our participants' hearts will rise a feeling of joy and support throughout those 4 October days.
Nora Mărginean
Registrations
“We are all products of our environment; every person we meet, every new experience or adventure, every book we read, touches and changes us, making us the unique being we are”
All of us have heard this phrase at some point in our lives. Following this logic, great surgeons and medical proffessionals are shaped by their experiences and encounters, they grow learning from past mistakes, exchanging opinions and sharing techniques with others around the globe. What better environment for such personal development other than a medical congress?
Surgicon is the ideal event for future surgeons and doctors, it is a great and, may I say, rare opportunity for medical students to exercise surgical methods hands-on at our workshops, to listen to some of the most renowned surgeons alive during conferences and lectures, to take part in Scientific competitions and, maybe, fall a little more in love with medicine. It is your chance to take a glimpse into the future ,while getting to know fellow colleagues from all over the world.
As the head of the Registrations department I am more than honoured to take part in this project built by students, for students and I, alongside my department members, can not wait to answer all of your questions. Don’t be afraid to reach out to us with any need or uncertainty regarding the congress.
Are you ready for the next step in the adventure of your life?
I am extremely thrilled to meet you all this fall!
Smaranda Mareș
Scientific
Welcome to SURGICON 2020!
The experience of being even a small part in the making of the previous edition was an amazing opportunity for me. The energy, the teamwork, the ability to discover surgical opportunities from all around the world and the chance of meeting inspiring surgeons are some of the reasons for which I have decided that I wanted to continue to be part of SURGICON Organising Comitee and I am so lucky to be able to do so as co-coordinator of the Scientific Department.
As medical students, research activity and actively engaging in presenting scientific papers are important steps in building our future careers. I believe that everyone benefits a lot from these kind of activities and it is the reason why we encourage participation and engagement from all the participants both in conferences held by world-renowned surgeons aiming at inspiring the future generation and in the student scientific competition.
A unique experience offered by our congress is the Scientific Debate Session, where you can put your public speaking and persuasion skills at work, engaging in a conversation on maybe controversial choices that surgeons get to make in their every day practice.
I hope you will enjoy the scientific program and that you will be having a wonderful time in Bucharest !
Liviu Șerban
Scientific
The world of science is overwhelmingly fast and thousands of articles are poured every month in the medical journals all over the world. For a doctor to be on top of them every single moment, it is required to develop a second nature for the craft of reading and understanding scientific articles. In order to achieve that, it is important to start your fair share of research during your training as a medical student.
Science is best learned first-hand, this is why medical congresses are held all over the world, allowing practitioners to expand a global network of researchers with the same interest, able to communicate and advance the borders of knowledge in each field. We want to bring to SURGICON not only the best surgeons in the world, but also the best speakers, people whose life experience is enough to inspire a new generation of elite doctors.
Science is also about being exact. It is important to take great care in organizing the experiments, planning the reviews, including the right patients and selecting the most important clinical cases in order to obtain a paper which can be considered scientifically valid. Our department is tasked in keeping this rigor for our active participants, working closely in helping them to achieve a good abstract and entertaining presentation.
Most importantly, science is about teamwork and communication. Even if you are in the OR or in the research lab, you need to have people around you to trust, to be there for you and together overcome even the most difficult situations. The Debate Competition is the perfect occasion to work with a colleague on a project and complement each other in order to win. The Debate Competition is also meant to encourage medical students to exercise their Public Speaking skills, be persuasive and see the problem through the eyes of the patient.
As the one of the coordinators of the Scientific Department, my role in SURGICON is to present to you all the opportunities a medical student can engage himself in the world of academic surgery. There is something prepared for everyone to experience and we hope you will enjoy SURGICON!
Adriana Negoiță
Social
Hi, I'm Adriana and I'm looking forward to making your Surgicon experience the most unforgettable by introducing you to the most wonderful places, people and activities Bucharest and our team have to offer! Just make sure you bring comfy shoes and a big smile, because you'll sure need those between the conferences! Can't wait to meet all of you!
Ioana Dinulescu
Workshops
I haven’t missed anything more during lockdown than my friends and the fuss we often get into to organise our dearest projects.
Our very ambitious Romanian Student Society of Surgery team have moved forward in dealing with an international student congress and I couldn’t be prouder about my colleagues after a great first edition in 2019 and jumping into the second one with more ideas and energy.
Yes, our strength is great conferences and workshops but we also excel in creating a proper circumstance and dynamics for networking, good communication and having fun.
SURGICON is all about students who want to overcome the limits of the medical school and extend their horizon and choices. This is not a congress only for those who have always dreamt to become a Grey or a Shepard surgeon since they were very young, but also for those who are curious enough to see a large number of possibilities.
Our team does its best to bring big international names from all over the surgery world and offer a wide variety of workshops. It is not something you can usually do and it is an opportunity to grow in your medical practice.
We are just some medical students who understood the benefit of getting inspired and educated by such events and we really want to share the SURGICON 2020 experience with you. After all, we all deserve some quality time concerning 2020 events, right?
