Tips for Attending a Conference
Written by Reem Al Shabeeb, MD
I had the pleasure of presenting posters at different national conferences. I enjoyed learning, presenting my research, exploring new cities, networking, and meeting old and new friends, colleagues, inspirational figures, educators, and mentors. The energy at these conferences is rejuvenating and will teach you new ideas to utilize for patient care, medical education, and advocacy amongst other things. Here are some other practical tips I learned along the way:
1. Look for discounts! Before booking your trip, check with the conference website to see if there are any hotel or flight discounts for that conference.
2. Book your hotel room early! The conference hotel usually books early, as it is a preferred hotel for many people, so book your hotel as soon as you know that you are going to the conference.
3. Poster printing. If you are presenting a poster, you will need to figure out a way to print your poster. Some conferences will have connections with printing companies to print posters at a reduced price with the option to deliver the poster to the conference (so you do not have to carry your poster across an airport!). Submitting by an early bird date can sometimes get you a discounted price so keep an eye out! Additionally, see if your hospital or program has a printer that you can use to print the poster for free.
4. Pay attention to the poster set-up time. Some conferences will have you set up your poster before the presentation time so it is available for audience viewing.
5. You can find a job at conferences! Many conferences have recruiters on site who you can connect to find a job offer!
6. The exhibit hall is a joy! Many conferences have exhibit halls with recruiters, exhibitions, and free samples. You can test out products and learn about the most recent advances in research!
7. Plan your conference schedule before the conference. Look through the conference program to find presentations you'd like to attend. Make a list of the people you hope to meet. Presentations are a wonderful way to ask questions, learn, and meet the presenters. If you enjoy a topic, ask the presenter for their email address to find a time to connect after the event to discuss their presentation.
8. Contact your medical school to see if they are hosting an event. Some medical schools host events at conferences, which allow current and medical school graduates to network in a smaller group environment.
9. Engage with conference attendees online on social media using the conference hashtag. You can even try to schedule a time for #MedTwitter participants to take a photo. Post the photo and tag people that you meet in the post!
10. Conferences are a great way to learn about topics! If you learn something memorable, write it down.
+ Bonus Pro Tip: Bring a pen and notebook to take notes, water, snacks, a light jacket (in case the rooms are cold), and a portable charger for your phone!
Congratulations on getting the opportunity to present your research! Have fun, learn a lot, and feel free to reach out to me if you have any other questions about going to conferences!
