Why Symposium?
When Lisa Melonçon and Blake Scott first had this idea, they repeatedly heard the suggestion to not have a traditional conference. While there is nothing wrong with the traditional conference, they understood that people really wanted to have the opportunity to talk with each other and discuss pressing issues around the rhetoric of health and medicine.
Lisa and Blake started thinking about other terms beyond conference and landed on symposium because of the obvious reason; it means to get together to talk about a particular topic. But it also means–dating back to ancient Greece–a drinking party or convivial discussion. The RHM Symposium has always tried to find the spot right in the middle where we can talk about a particular topic and have fun while we do it!
The Symposium also opens up space for us to discuss ways we could take risks and develop new ideas within the RHM community. Nothing spurs innovation like getting together a whole lot of like-minded folks, and the current climate around health and healthcare requires innovative thinking and research.
To that end, the symposium events are focused on discussions and talking with one another.
If you’d like to read more about previous events, check out the past symposia websites: