EMUC22: The parallels to mountaineering are everywhere, even in urology
Vital updates on major trials, emerging technologies, and pioneering techniques will be featured during the 14th European Multidisciplinary Congress on Urological Cancers (EMUC22), which will take place from 10 to 13 November 2022 in Budapest, Hungary. The four-day programme is not only full of important scientific updates in genito-urinary (GU) cancers, but delegates will also enjoy a special guest presentation on a different matter: dealing with burn-outs.
Well-known Swiss alpinist Mr. Dani Arnold (CH) will deliver an inspirational speech at EMUC22: “Motivation in complicated cases and against burnout.” Through breathtaking pictures of hard-to-reach places, Mr. Arnold will take the audience on a visual mountainous adventure and draw parallels between his high-risk sport and the life of a urologist in terms of the importance of preparation, leadership and dealing with defeat, risk, and change.
Last year Mr. Arnold set a world record for his solo climb up the north face of France’s 3,733m high Petit Dru in the Mount Blanc massif. He also holds the speed record for climbing the treacherous north face of the Eiger, and the fastest solo climb of the north face of the Matterhorn. He recently achieved his 10-year project to speed solo all of the six great north faces of the alps.
Tactics, calculated risks, courage and discipline
In an interview with Mr. Arnold, he shares this thoughts on some of the comparisons between a free solo climber and a urologist. “There’s no room for mistakes in either activity! This creates pressure. Pressure influences our actions, it helps us stay focused, but too much pressure is bad. We both have a high motivation to become better, we do not take the easy way. This is a great quality but also a danger.”
He believes parallels to mountaineering are everywhere, as it is about tactics and calculated risks, about courage and discipline, and about guiding others and oneself. “There are many things in common, although it is also important for me to say that surgeons are essential, but mountaineers are not.”
Mr. Arnold is his own mental coach and a good teacher for anyone who wants to learn from an extreme athlete about how good planning and preparation is the key in successfully dealing with risk and changing processes. “Fortunately, I have never experienced freezing up in a high-risk situation. I think preparation is very important. I have to try to consider every possibility in the planning. For me personally, when things get really tricky, concentrated breathing helps me”.
When asked what he does when the option of failing is simply not possible, Mr. Arnold replied “That also has a lot to do with experience and preparation. I can only go so far or perform a climb so difficult that I still have everything under control. But it is also important to understand and accept that there is a residual risk in every activity.”
“To keep motivated and balanced I think it’s very important not to define oneself only by one activity. Climbing is important for me, I live for it. But there are many more important things.”
- Mr. Arnold will speak on Sunday, 13 November at 10:00. You can view the full EMUC22 scientific programme.
- Registration is still open and you can take advantage of the reduced late fee savings until 26 October 2022 (11:59 CEST).
In conjunction with EMUC22, the 10th meeting of the EAU Section of Urological Imaging (ESUI22) will take place on the 10th November 2022. ESUI22 will investigate how imaging enhances urological diagnostics, intraoperative visualisation and helps define the standardisation of the reporting of urological cancers. There will be extensive assessments of technological applications in image-guiding approaches.
