In this episode, host Dr. Aaron Fritts interviews Dr. Marc Sapoval about practicing IR in France, the origins of the Global Embolization Oncology Symposium Technologies (GEST) Conference, and an upcoming conference in MSK embolization. The CE experience for this Podcast is powered by CMEfy - click here to reflect and earn credits: https://earnc.me/PX6J62 --- CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS Global Embolization Oncology Symposium Technologies (GEST) Conference https://thegestgroup.com/ Laurel Road for Doctors https://www.laurelroad.com/healthcare-banking/ RADPAD® Radiation Protection https://www.radpad.com/ --- SHOW NOTES First, Dr. Sapoval gives an overview of the French IR landscape. He outlines the training pathway, which is a four year radiology program with an additional two years of IR specialization. He also describes his role at an academic hospital. Dr. Sapoval says that in his country, collaboration with other endovascular specialists depends on both interpersonal relationships and business incentives. For the remainder of the interview, we talk about how GEST began and where it is today. In 2007, Drs. Marc Sapoval, Jafar Golzarian, and Ziv Haskal started the first GEST conference in Barcelona, after they realized the need for a specific meeting geared towards embolization. This inaugural meeting turned out to be a success, with attendance reaching much higher numbers than they had originally anticipated. Since then, GEST annual meetings have taken place throughout Europe and the United States. In recent years, it has found a permanent home in New York City. Dr. Sapoval introduces a new smaller conference series called GEST Hot Topics. An upcoming conference in this series focuses on MSK interventions, and it will be held in Paris on January 20-21, 2023. He emphasizes that it is an incredible opportunity to be part of a new field of IR. He highlights speakers who currently lead research efforts in MSK embolization and encourages all listeners to register and attend GEST Hot Topics: MSK Embolization. --- RESOURCES GEST Hot Topic: MSK Embolization: https://thegestgroup.com/gest-msk-2023-paris/ GEST Annual Conference 2023: https://annual.thegestgroup.com/GEST23/Public/mainhall.aspx