Exploring Québec with AAIQ!

The first time I attended the AAIQ (L'Association des Allergologues et Immunologues du Québec) conference, I had just finished my board exams for internal medicine. I was part of the morning cohort in a large downtown hotel. Each candidate had their own hotel room with the door left open for security purposes, while the examiner asked oral scenarios over a computer screen (remember the pandemic?). Afterward, we waited a few more hours before being released to prevent interacting with the afternoon cohort. I had forgotten to pack lunch and quelled the rumbling in my stomach with some hotel room coffee while waiting anxiously to leave.

By the time I left the hotel room, I was depleted in every way. Yet, I was also excited what was coming next. Not more than half an hour later, I was in a car with my future colleagues, driving literally and figuratively towards a new life.

Vegan brunch at Astoria Bistro Botanique in Gatineau, QC during AAIQ 2022.

Our destination was the 2022 AAIQ conference in Gatineau. It was a significant shift—from internal medicine to allergy/immunology, and from English to French, the language of most of the content. Each time I’ve attended the conference (this is my third), I've had the opportunity to explore a bit of Quebec. In 2023, we gathered in La Malbaie at the exact hotel where the G7 summit was held in 2018, the Manoir Richelieu.

Roadtrip to Charlevoix 2023

On Thursday evening (that, is, Thursday May 16, 2024), I checked into the Fairmont Tremblant, conveniently located at the foot of the ski hills for skiers to easily come and go. The first event of the conference on Friday was the Défi 3km. Feeling a bit indecisive about the event due to the word “défi,” I finally showed up at 6:55am dressed in a t-shirt and shorts in the 12°C weather, ready to "defy" the hilly terrain that the concierge had warned me about. Looking around, I saw everyone else in hiking clothes, and even a baby in a stroller. A pharmacist looked at my outfit and asked, “Vous n'avez pas froid?” That’s when I realized it was a hike, not a jog!

Scenes from our morning hike

The rest of the talks were useful and interesting. I supported my resident colleagues, such as Dr. Fatemah Alyaqout and Dr. Michael Aw on their project AllergyIQ, which are learning modules on allergy/immunology topics for the curious. Dr. Yan Jia Liu from UdeM spoke on the tricky topic of “may contain” labels in food, Dr. Tanguy Reny from UdeM on mustard oral immunotherapy, and Dr. Florian Stehlin, our Swiss drug allergy fellow, on sulfa labels.

 

My talk was on “Connexion Nordique,” detailing our outreach in Northern Quebec that our team has been diligently working on. It was very well received and an encouragement for our project, which you will undoubtedly hear more about in the months to come.

Saputjiqatigit ᓴᐳᑦᔨᖃᑎᒋᑦ aka la "Connexion Nordique"

We also supported our faculty Dr. Moshe Ben-Shoshan speaking about his research career in Canada and Dr. Hannah Elfassy on autoinflammatory syndromes.

The fun parts of the day came later with ceramics painting at Studio Créatif, thanks to the organization of Ninon Cardinal and Dr. Danny Barriault from UdeM. After more food and a short rest, we returned to the annual banquet where each year a member is honored for their contributions. And of course, the much-anticipated live music show lived up to the hype. The LBA Band played hit after hit of well-known covers, never missing a beat.

In all, I'm grateful for the blend of professional growth, community building, and fun activities at the AAIQ conferences. I look forward to continuing this journey with such an inspiring and supportive group of colleagues!

Up the gondola in Tremblant village

Painting at Studio Créatif

LBA Band

Ninon Cardinal with our painted ceramics