Supercharge career skills at the AMA Research Symposium

Each fall physicians in training have a chance to spotlight their research projects before leaders of the medical community. Find out how the AMA Research Symposium can boost your visibility, build your CV and expand your network. Last year’s symposium winners also offer tips for competitors.

Symposium participants compete for cash prizes and benefit from the chance to present their findings before experts in their fields. The symposium takes place Nov. 11-12 during the 2016 AMA Interim Meeting at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando.

Discussing your research before a reputable panel of judges can set you on the fast track to credibility and advance your career. Michael Lause won the student biochemistry category last year with a presentation on esophageal carcinoma.

“Participating in the AMA Research Symposium was definitely a boost to my CV,” said Lause, now a third-year student at the Ohio State University School of Medicine. “It provided me an opportunity to put an exclamation point on a successful summer research project. I put this award on my resume, and I do feel it will serve as a positive factor in any job or endeavor in the future.”

“The feedback and questions I received at the AMA Research Symposium helped me shape my presentations,” Tanya Khasnavis said. “I also refined some of my research graphs to be more easily presentable.”

Khasnavis, a third-year student at the Medical College of Georgia and last year’s winner in the neurobiology category for work on Lesch-Nyhan disease, said she has published two papers based on her research topic.

Simply applying and being accepted to the symposium provided a learning experience, Lause said.

“More than this, though, are the intangible skills,” he said, “like designing an efficient yet aesthetically appealing poster and captivating an audience through compelling public speaking. All of this shines through on a CV when you have presented at a national research conference.”

Eric Melancon, MD, winner in the improving health outcomes category in the residents division for his research on COPD test results, said the symposium even improved his clinical care skills.

“I took my information and data to how I approach patient care, and improved on overall quality of care,” said Dr. Melancon, who recently completed his training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham family medicine program.

Last year, nearly 400 of the country’s brightest medical students, residents, fellows and international medical graduates (IMG) presented and discussed their research among hundreds of AMA Interim Meeting attendees. Presenters also met symposium judges from medical schools, residency programs and hospitals.

“The symposium was a wonderful way to meet my peers and share our research experiences,” Khasnavis said. “It has served as an invaluable element of my medical school experience.”

For Lause, the symposium allowed him to drill deeper into the workings of the medical world: “It exposed me to the mission and mechanics of the AMA, and now I am an alternate delegate for my region. It got me involved in the politics of medicine, and that is a major benefit from the symposium.”

Last year’s winners offered advice for their peers considering the 2016 symposium. Abhishek Maiti, MD, the resident group’s overall podium winner for research on renal cell carcinoma, underlined the value of a presentation that is concise and at the same time engaging.

“I think a good presentation needs to convey the complex nature of your research but be simple enough for the audience to quickly understand,” he said.

Lause said confidence can play a major role in any project: “The best advice I can give is to present your research as the most important thing in the world of science,” he said. “Your energy and passion will be contagious, and your presentation elevated. The award winners are often the people who convince the judges that their results are going to drastically change the landscape within that field of medicine.”

Other winners echoed the idea that projects should offer new insights into the practical realities of clinical care.

“I would suggest any new presenters choose a subject that every physician can relate to, and one that will not only enhance your medical knowledge but improve patient care,” Dr. Melancon said. “In the end, that is why we are here.” 

Students, residents and IMGs all report a symposium experience that not only builds skills, networks and careers, but ignites a new kind of excitement about their profession.

“I absolutely loved it and would encourage all medical students and residents to participate,” Dr. Maiti said. “Thanks to the AMA for creating such an opportunity.”

Members of the AMA are eligible to take part in the symposium. Research submissions this year are being accepted in these groups:

• For students: Submit your abstract for one of eight categories—biochemistry/cell biology, cardiovascular disease/diabetes, clinical outcomes and health care improvement, immunology/infectious disease/inflammation, neurobiology/neuroscience, public health and epidemiology, radiology/imaging, or surgery/biomedical engineering.  
• For residents and fellows: Submit your abstract for one of three categories—clinical vignette, clinical medicine (this includes quality improvement, health policy, clinical research and medical education) or improving health outcomes (cardiovascular disease and diabetes).  
• For IMGs: If you are certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates and awaiting residency, you can submit your abstract for one of three categories—clinical medicine, clinical vignette or improving health outcomes (cardiovascular disease and diabetes).

Each eligible participant may submit only one abstract and must submit his or her research using the symposium’s online submission form.

Abstracts are due Aug. 17. See the symposium web page for key registration details, submission guidelines and more. The annual AMA Research Symposium is organized by the AMA Medical Student Section, the AMA Resident and Fellow Section and the AMA-IMG Section.

• Learn how to publish your research like a pro with these five strategies.
• Bookmark this list of the top journals that accept research from physicians in training.
• Read how to get your research published.
• Follow these 9 expert tips for getting published in a medical journal.
• Remember that publishing (like research) is a learning process. Here's how to handle it if your paper gets rejected.