Learning how to get your research accepted into a conference is the first step of gaining valuable research experience for many graduate students. As a medical student, many residencies value research. Getting published is difficult. So, a smaller stepping stone is to get your research accepted to a conference. At conferences, you are able to present your work to passerbyers. It is an exciting time to share your work and make a good impression on experts in the field. Some conferences are even competitive, and judges will walk around looking for the most outstanding work.
As a third year medical student, I have had six research projects accepted to six different conferences. I had research experience in undergrad as a research assistant. But I never spearheaded my own project as an undergraduate student. However, as a second semester first year student, I led two projects and presented them at two conferences that spring. It was an exciting feeling, and jumpstarted a feverant passion for research.
So, I would like to walk you through my process of getting to present at a conference. Hopefully by the end of the year, I can write to you about how to get a manuscript accepted to a journal. But for now, I am going to talk about how to get your research accepted to a conference.
1. Plan your research
The first step for how to get your research accepted to a conference is to have something to present. Research conferences are gatherings of professionals in the field to learn about emerging topics. That means if you want to have your research accepted, you must bring a new, interesting question or idea.
Coming up with your research question may be the toughest part. But, the FINER method can make it easier.
Take whatever research question interests you, and vet it using the FINER method. If there is any part of your question that receives a “no”, then you’ll need to rework your question. Doing a simple literature review will let you know if someone else has already explored your question.
If they have, then go to the most recent article and read the “Discussion” section for future directions. Future directions is an easy place to find your next research angle, because the groundwork has been done already. All you have to do is design a project that explores that future direction.
After you establish your research question, you must determine your hypothesis, methods, and overall goals for the project. Is it going to be a qualitative or quantitative study? Or both? What stats will you use? All of these are questions you must consider, preferably, before you start.
Some research projects will go out of order, and these questions won’t be answered until after portions of the project are complete. But more than likely, you’ll need to establish the answers to these questions prior to starting your project.
For a step-by-step guide on how to plan your project, please check out my FREE leadership journal. If you enjoy using it, then you can upgrade to my Deluxe Project Planning Journal!
2. Choose a conference
After you plan your project, the next step is choosing a conference. It’s important to do this early because abstract deadlines are normally MONTHS before the actual conference. Therefore, you don’t want to miss a deadline, or you’ll have to wait an entire year to present at the next conference.
There are two things to consider when deciding at which conferences you would like to present.
The first is, what is the topic of your project, and which conferences focus on that topic? The second is, what is your future career choice? This is important because conferences are an opportunity to network, and relevant research on your CV could help you in the match process.
Find associations that align with your research field of interest and see when their annual research conferences are. There are also student-specific conferences that you should also try to attend. Not only will your research possibly have a higher chance of being accepted, but you also will get to meet other medical students. The organizations within your school should have national organizations that have yearly meetings with research presentations.
After choosing a conference, look up their past accepted abstracts. The topic areas and title names will give you an idea if your project fits or not. If it does not, then find a better aligned conference so you have a higher chance of success.
Most conferences also have “tracks” or groups for various topics. Try to fit your project within one of them. Common tracks are clinical, educational, community-engagement, diversity/leadership, and biomedical.
3. Create a timeline
After planning your project and choosing a conference, the next thing to do is create a timeline. Organization is key when you are trying to get your research accepted to a conference. You need to account for inevitable delays in the research process, and ensure your have a quality project to submit by the abstract submission deadline.
To create your timeline, decide if you are submitting a works-in-progress or a completed project. Works-in-progress do not have to be complete prior to presenting. This is when you can present the idea and get feedback before finishing the project. Completed projects are finished and ready to present from beginning to end before the conference and abstract submission.
If you are submitting a works-in-progress, then your timeline can be slightly looser. Start with the abstract deadline and work backwards. What exactly do you want to submit, and what needs to be complete in order to do that? Maybe you need to complete a literature search. Or perhaps you need to create a survey you are presenting. Whatever you need to do, give yourself deadlines so you can meet the conference submission dates.
If you are submitting a completed project, again you will start at the submission date. Your project needs to be complete, so work backwards and determine what steps need to be completed by then. This includes:
- Data collection
- Data analysis
- Validation
- Write up
The conference determines which types of project you can submit. Also, for works-in-progress projects, conferences like to see proof of concept. This means you can’t just submit an idea that sounds good. You have to prove it’s feasible and worthy of further exploration.
Establishing a timeline at the beginning of your research project can help you stay on track as you make all of these decisions.
4. Submit your abstract
Once you have completed the first three steps, the next step in how to get your research accepted to a conference is to submit the abstract. Submitting the abstract is the most crucial step. You normally have about 250 words to explain what you did and why it’s important. It’s the only thing conference judges will know about your project. So, this means you have very little space to get them to agree that your project is important.
When submitting your abstract, pay close attention to submission guidelines. Many abstracts are scored by rubrics to avoid bias. Therefore, if you have access to the rubric, make sure your abstract follows it to a tee. The higher your score, the more likely the judges are to accept your research.
The little details matter too. This includes the word count, required sections, disclosures, etc. Do not submit without making sure that you have met all the minimum deadlines.
In your abstract, you have to get to the meat and potatoes. Leave the fluff for the poster. This is the hardest part for me personally. I want to give so much context, but you can’t. You have anywhere from 4-5 sections to get your point across. Below is an outline of a standard abstract and what to include:
After you write your first draft, be prepared to write several more drafts. Make sure other people, including your research team, lays eyes on it before you submit. Professors are great resources, as well, because they can give you feedback on wording and format. You want to make sure your project is clear to those who don’t know your project. Once everyone signs off on it, then you can proceed with your submission.
Most conferences will require you to become a member before submitting. Becoming a member comes with great perks, and most organizations have student discounts!
5. Wait for a decision
After you submit your abstract, you may not hear back for a couple of months. You can spend this time either working on your project (if it’s a work-in-progress), or moving on to another project if you already completed the project.
Try not to stress during this period. Conferences will let you know whether or not they accepted your abstract. So, just try to be patient while you wait.
Yay your submission was accepted!
If your submission was accepted, congratulations is in order! It is an exciting feeling. I can still remember getting my first email and sprinting up three flights of stairs to tell my professor. You should feel proud because it is a great accomplishment. Getting accepted to a conference is not easy. So feel proud that you created something that experts in the field felt was worthy of sharing.
Find out the details of the conference. This includes where it is, registration deadline, fees and poster requirements. Now that most conferences are returning to an in-person format, you will need to start planning travel. Some conferences have travel grants. Look on their website to see if they offer any scholarships for students. Also, most medical schools should have travel grants for their students. It is great when one of their students get to go to a conference. Therefore, they normally budget for student travel. Before you dig into your own pockets, exhaust every resource to get someone else to pay for your travel.
Creating your poster
As you are planning for travel, you also have to put together your poster. Below is one of my posters that I presented at a conference that you can use as a reference.
Also check with your school to make sure they don’t have a required layout or template. After you create your poster, it needs to be approved by officials at your school. They will determine if your poster is a good enough quality to present. You do not want to take subpar poster to a conference. Conferences archive posters, and can display them online. The last thing you want is for programs to associate you with sloppy research and a poor poster presentation. It is not a good look for you or your school.
Oh no, your submission was rejected…
You win some, you lose some. I was rejected by two conferences and it stinks. You put in all this effort for a project that means a lot to you, and others just don’t agree. There is not much you can do about that particular submission but accept it.
However, that does not mean the idea is dead. You may need to rework it, or approach it from a new angle. The best thing you can do if your research was not accepted to a conference is read the feedback of the rejection. Larger conferences may not offer feedback. But smaller conferences normally provide scoring and feedback.
Use that feedback to determine what you can do differently to re-submit to another conference. You want to improve your project, and also make sure it is slightly different than your original submission. Do not copy and paste the same proposal. It’s bad taste, and may even be against submission rules.
This is also the time to decide if your project is important enough for you to continue, or if you want to abandon it. There is nothing wrong with abandoning research if it is not a good topic. Sometimes you just lose interest, or it is no longer a relevant topic. That is for you to decide. But if you are going to abandon a research topic, make sure it’s because you really don’t think it’s good research, and not just because you were not accepted.
Main takeaways
Research can be fun and exciting, especially when you get to share it. Sharing research at conferences is the perfect opportunity to meet new individuals and share what you have learned. You never know what doors will open for you.
If you have any questions or additional recommendations, please leave them in the comments. Don’t forget to subscribe for additional tips on how to make medical school your b***h.
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