Gijs-Jan, Bas, and Bas attended the yearly MGC (Medical-Genetic Center South-West Netherlands) PhD retreat, a four-day meeting organized by and for PhD students of the Erasmus MC and LUMC (Leiden University Medical Center). This year, the MGC took place in Düsseldorf. There was a variety of keynote speakers invited who talked about neurocognitive studies on spatial relation processing, career options after a PhD, and meditation through laugh yoga. For PhD candidates themselves, the MGC provides an opportunity to present their work to peers, as the candidates are requested to give a poster- or oral presentation. Next to that there’s the scientific content. The MGC provides ample opportunities for networking, as social events are organized every day. This year, the program included a pubquiz, city game, laser tag and a tour along Düsseldorf’s breweries. All in all, we learned from new protocols and met a lot of peers, which may always come in handy in the future.
