The ACC has always been a beacon for science. Late-Breaking Clinical Trials and discussions with experts and investigators are at the core of its scientific sessions.

In recent years, the ACC Fellows in Training (FIT) and ACC Early Career Sections have designed programs tailored specifically to address their needs and interests, including searching for job opportunities and negotiating contracts. Amongst the innovative activities is the ACC Jeopardy competition. It is very popular and well-attended, often with a full audience and standing-room only overflow as chapters compete against one another. The purpose is to cover a variety of topics ranging from imaging, prevention and intervention in an unconventional manner. There is a panel of judges and chairs to moderate the competition.

The second edition of the ACC International Jeopardy competition took place at ACC.19 from competitors across the globe, including Italy, Singapore, Argentina and Thailand. It was a unique experience to witness. Despite their different geographic locations, there was more in common bringing young competitors together – science. At first, I thought the Jeopardy format would be difficult for international participants as the game is a very "American" concept. To my pleasant surprise, they grasped the rules and it was seamless.

As an early career physician from Saudia Arabia, I had the honor of drafting the questions and serving as moderator for the competition. However, I was equally concerned when drafting the categories and questions. I assumed the level of the participants would be too variable and standard questions for a trainee in the U.S. may not meet standards elsewhere. However, once again the candidates were all exceptionally well-informed and clearly familiar with appropriate use criteria, latest trials and guidelines covering a wide spectrum of topics in cardiology. The categories this year included Deep Dive (for shock), She's Here (for women in cardiology), The Packaging (for pericardial diseases), Fixing the Pipes (for coronary artery disease) and Roads and Detours (for peripheral vascular disease). The final jeopardy question displayed an optical coherence tomography image (see below) and read, "This patient was admitted through the ER with crushing chest pain. This is a classical demonstration of the underlying pathology."

It generated intriguing discussion amongst the competitors and audience who were given the chance to participate with more difficult questions. The purpose of this particular demonstrative image was to teach candidates to distinguish between a thrombus, dissection and calcification.

Overall, Jeopardy is a novel educational tool. It allows trainees to learn through a fun and interactive session, as well as provides an opportunity to bridge young physicians with mentors who serve as moderators and judges. Finally, it provides a networking platform for young physicians to find collaborators amongst their peers.

This article was authored by Mirvat A. Alasnag, MB, BCH, director of the catheterization laboratory at King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.