Research Poster Symposium

The AMA-MSS and Resident & Fellow Section, in association with an educational grant from Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, will be holding its 6th Annual Joint Research Poster Symposium at the 2008 MSS Interim Meeting in Orlando.  Abstracts submitted by students will be reviewed by the MSS Committee on Scientific Issues and selected for presentation during the Poster Symposium (see guidelines below).

Research will be presented in eight categories.

Members of the AMA Council on Science and Public Health, as well as local medical school faculty members, will judge the posters. The overall winner will be announced at the MSS Assembly Meeting on Saturday, Nov. 8.  The overall winner will receive a trip to the AMA Medical Student Section Annual Meeting in Chicago in June 2009.

Please read all guidelines before you submit your abstract. Abstracts must be received no later than the deadline of 5:00 p.m. CDT Sept. 18, 2008. Any abstract e-mailed after this time and date will be automatically rejected - no exceptions will be made.

Submission requirements:

• All entrants must be current medical student members of the AMA. (Co-authors do not necessarily have to be members.) This includes students enrolled in MD, MD/PhD, MD/MBA, MD/MPH, MD/JD, etc. programs.
• The first author of abstracts accepted for the Research Poster Award must be willing to attend the Interim Meeting (at his/her own expense) and be present to discuss his/her research during the scheduled judging (Friday, Nov. 7, time TBD). Due to finite space, we must limit presenters to a 4' x 4' board.
• By submitting a poster to the AMA-MSS Poster Symposium, you certify that: the poster is your original work;  or original work conducted by you and other authors, and any co-authors are appropriately credited for their contribution and have been informed of the submission.  Infringements will result in disqualification from the Symposium.

Abstract criteria:

• Only one abstract will be allowed per AMA student member. Multiple abstracts received from the same student will all be automatically rejected. Once an abstract is submitted via e-mail, it cannot be modified (i.e., an updated version will not be accepted later, even if before the submission deadline). Please thoroughly proofread your abstract before submitting it.
• Length: Not to exceed 250 words (The 250-word limit does not include the list of authors and their respective institutions, nor does it include the title. The 250-word limit only applies to the body of the abstract.)
• Spacing: Double-space
• Format:
  • Indicate category of research in the upper-right hand corner. Choose the single most appropriate category from the following:
    * Biochemistry/cell biology
    * Cancer biology
    * Cardiology/vascular biology
    * Clinical/epidemiological/health care
    * Immunology/microbiology
    * Neurobiology/neuroscience
    * Radiology/imaging
    * Surgery
  • If your research does not fall under any of the above categories, it will not be considered for this poster competition.
  • Title: centered, bold-face
  • Immediately under the title, write your cell phone number, most frequently checked e-mail address, and year in school (e.g. M1, M2, etc). The majority of correspondence will be via e-mail.
  • List authors and their respective institution(s). The student who will present the poster must be listed as the first author. The PI must be listed as the last author.
  • Body: must include purpose of research and brief overview on method, result, and conclusion.
  • No diagrams or tables should be included in the abstract.
  • Do not include references.
  • Your abstract can be about previously reported or current results. If your abstract has been previously accepted and/or presented at other conferences and/or published, please provide the relevant information (conference name, location, date, format, or journal name, volume, edition, date, page numbers). This information will not be considered as part of the 250-word limit.

Abstracts that do not meet the requirements stated above will be automatically rejected. Accepted abstracts must be presented in poster format during the Interim Meeting.

Criteria for evaluating abstracts

The MSS Committee on Scientific Issues (CSI) will be evaluating the abstracts submitted based on the following criteria:

• Clarity of hypothesis
• Clear organization of the project. Effective use of the scientific method is evident.
• All significant variables have been identified. Efforts to eliminate bias between control and experimental groups is clear.
• The conclusion is consistent with the data and/or observations. Potential pitfalls of the methodology or interpretation have been addressed. The potential significance of the experiments is placed in the proper perspective.
• Abstract is in required form and organized. Abstract is well written, concise and readable.
• The project demonstrates a novel approach and/or idea.

Poster presentation

• Dress for poster presenters is business attire.
• Abstracts chosen for presentation at the 2008 Interim Meeting are to be prepared in advance on a poster board, not greater than 4' wide x 4' high. Posters may be in a single sheet or in multiple panels, as long as they adhere to the space limitations.
• All costs associated with creation of the poster will be the responsibility of the entrants. Push pins will be provided by the AMA. If you would prefer to use Velcro, you must bring your own supplies.
• Presenters must set up their posters at the scheduled time prior to the poster session. No exceptions will be made.
• Posters will be displayed on bulletin boards during the Poster Symposium on Friday, Nov. 7, and entrants must be present to discuss their posters.
• During the scheduled Poster Symposium, a panel of judges will visit and examine each research poster. Authors must be available for questions during this time. It is suggested that the student presenters prepare a 2-4 minute overview of his/her poster for the judge(s). The presenter should also be prepared to answers questions about his/her research and poster.
• Poster presentation schedule
  • Poster setup: Friday, Nov. 7, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
  • Poster judging: Friday, Nov. 7, 5:30 - 6:45 p.m.
  • Panel discussion ("Careers in Research"): Friday, Nov. 7, 7:00 - 7:30 p.m.
  • Poster viewing and reception: Friday, Nov. 7, 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
  • Winners announced: Saturday, Nov. 8, 8:30 a.m.

Award

• Members of the AMA Council on Science and Public Health, as well as local medical school faculty will serve as judges during the poster presentation. Judges will receive all entrants' abstracts prior to the meeting for review.
• The winner will be selected during the poster symposium and will be recognized before the MSS Assembly on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 8.
• The first-prize winner will receive travel expenses to the AMA-MSS Annual Meeting in Chicago in June 2009. Winners of each category will also be awarded prizes.

Important dates and contact information

• Abstracts must be e-mailed (as .doc, .rtf, or .pdf files) to mss@ama-assn.org by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Sept. 18, 2008. Late abstracts and abstracts not conforming to the specified criteria above will automatically be rejected. Be sure to include your cell phone number, e-mail address, and year in school (e.g. M1, M2, etc.).
• All submitters will be notified via e-mail regarding acceptance or rejection of their abstract by Sept. 25.
• If you have any questions, please contact the AMA Department of Medical Student Services.