Presentation Formats

Abstract Submission Instructions

General Notices

Primary authors of accepted submissions will be contacted by AAMC conference staff for information about A/V, software, and other needs after the most suitable type of program activity has been determined.

All presenters must pre-register for the meeting, as attendance is limited, and all meeting participants are expected to pay a registration fee. (Pre-registration materials will be online in March.)

Exceptions: Keynote Speakers and the principle person leading a Pre-workshop will receive a free registration to the conference, as will a limited number of participants from the host institution.

Reduced or complimentary registration fees may be available for presenters from developing countries, and for students. Contact Suzanne Stensaas for information.

Submission Types (Presentation Formats)

Pre-workshops:

The pre-workshops will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. They may be half-day (3-4 hours) or full-day (7-8 hours with break and lunch). Please indicate the preferred length and type of workshop in your submission abstract.

Attendees will pay an additional fee to register for pre-workshops. Therefore, pre-workshop abstracts must be explicit, so that prospective attendees understand what benefits they will derive. Pre-workshop abstracts must include, at minimum, a very clear statement of objectives, a statement of benefits that will come from participation, the intended audience, and, if necessary, a list of prerequisite skills the attendee must have in order to participate. There are two types of Pre-workshops:

• Hands-on practical work or training
  These will occur in computer labs. Please list the maximum number of people that you can manage in the session in your submission abstract.
• Tutorial
  Tutorials with interaction and questions from the audience, but with no hands-on computer training, will occur in classrooms, with wireless internet connectivity available. If needed for your presentation, please bring your own portable.

Pre-workshops are not venues for commercial promotion of products.

Auditorium Presentation

Auditorium Presentations are short demonstrations of innovative techniques or technology. They are brief (20 minutes or less) to accommodate as many presenters as possible.

They occur on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning, and are attended by all registrants in the auditorium. There are no concurrent sessions. Projection equipment and Ethernet connectivity to the Internet will be available.

Auditorium Presenters must register for the meeting.

Please note: There are always a greater number of excellent submissions in this category than can be accommodated. The program committee may, therefore, ask for selected submissions in this category to present, instead, as Electronic Poster or Demonstration (see below). These are not considered of lesser value, and actually provide more time for you to discuss your work in depth with participants.

Breakout Session

These sessions are offered on Thursday and Friday during lunch, and attendance at each typically runs from approximately 10 to 30 people. There are usually 6-8 sessions to choose from each day.

Breakout Sessions are informal Question and Answer sessions focused on a topic, and are one hour maximum. The content may be broad and philosophical (e.g., cognition and software design) or specific (e.g., Java, XML). Introductory remarks (10 minutes) from the Breakout Session facilitator typically start the session to provide focus.

No computer or projection is provided, wanted or needed. The idea is to talk and share ideas, not demonstrate. We encourage you to suggest a topic and write an abbreviated abstract focusing on the topic, issues, questions you plan to open with and who the intended participants would be.

Box lunches are provided during the Breakout Sessions to take to a session of your choice.

Breakout Session leaders must register for the meeting.

Panel

Panels explore contrasting views on current issues. Panel sessions are intended to provide diverse perspectives on approaches, questions, methods and/or applications in medical education.

Panels run for 45 minutes, and are comprised of 2-4 panelists, including the lead author, who typically acts as panelist/moderator.

All panel participants, including the moderator, must register for the meeting.

Posters and Electronic Demonstrations

Each Poster/Demonstration will be exhibited on Thursday OR Friday afternoon for 3 hours. The sessions allow extended discussions with interested attendees. Attendees circulate through the exhibit areas and talk informally with individual presenters. Presenters are expected to be at their table for one block of 1-1/2 hours, as assigned during the 3 hour block. (This allows presenters to circulate as well.)

There are three types of Posters/Demonstrations:

1. Paper Posters exhibit data about items such as the evaluation of a Web site, learning methods, and student performance, as well as allow the presenter to display results (e.g., graphs, charts, conclusions) in detail.
2. Electronic Posters with computers provide a poster board, table, chairs and you provide your personal portable computer.
3. Electronic Demonstrations include a table and chairs for you to demonstrate your project. It is the same as option 2 except with no poster board. (Please submit as an Electronic Demonstration if you do not need a poster board. We have to rent them!)

Those presenting Electronic Posters or Electronic Demonstrations must bring a laptop. There will be wireless Internet connectivity in the hotel demo/poster area. (The presence of Ethernet has yet to be determined.)

All poster presenters must register for the meeting.

Special Interest Group Meetings

Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings may be held during the Breakout Sessions. These are informal discussion sessions, with no equipment provided or expected. If you wish to start a SIG, or hold a meeting for an existing SIG, do NOT submit an abstract. Instead, please communicate directly with Suzanne.Stensaas@hsc.utah.edu

Criteria For Selection

• Clarity of statement
• Availability of evaluation or result of approach, technique of technology
• Originality/Innovation of approach, technique or technology
• Prospect for general Interest, general use, or adaptation for use of approach, technique or technology

Submission Deadline

All submissions must be received at the AAMC offices on or before January 17, 2005. When using the online submission form, you will automatically receive a confirmation that the materials have been submitted. AAMC staff will follow up with an e-mail confirming that the materials are complete and legible within 5 working days. If you have not received e-mail confirmation within 5 working days, email sliceoflife@aamc.org.

Notice of acceptance/rejection of proposals will be made via email no later than February 21. If you have not received information regarding acceptance/rejection by February 21, 2005, please contact sliceoflife@aamc.org

Submitting Your Abstract

Abstract Checklist:

1. Abstract is single-spaced, in 12 point Times Roman font
2. Title of the abstract is in All Capital Letters
3. Single-space abstract, allow two spaces between title and author/institution list as well as between paragraphs
4. Abstract must not exceed 250 words, excluding title and author/institution list.
5. Abstract file Format is Microsoft Word or or Rich Text Format (.rtf)
6. Abstract file name is lead authors last name, underscore, first initial, e.g., smith_b.doc

After ensuring that your abstract is properly formatted, complete the Slice of Life Electronic Submission Form and submit you abstract online.

If you are unable to submit your file via the Submission Form, please contact sliceoflife@aamc.org