Family Medicine Midwest Conference 2023
Poster Presentation Guide

 

The 2023 Call for Abstracts is now closed. Submitters will be notified as to their acceptance status in the second half of July.

 

1. Purpose for Poster Sessions:
The purpose of the poster sessions is to provide an opportunity for the conference participants to become acquainted with your project or study quickly and easily. Your objective at the poster sessions is to present your data in graphic, tabular, or chart form to pique the interest of passersby who might then wish to stop and discuss your work in more detail. 

An effective poster presentation is not simply a journal article hung on a wall. It should be a highlighted synopsis enabling the viewer to move quickly through the analysis of the topic. Resist the temptation to reproduce full pages of typed material. Viewers will be more intrigued by crisp phrases and brief lists. Full pages of text are unlikely to be read, and the crucial point of your presentation may be overlooked in an overabundance of words. 
Please note: Students are given the highest priority for acceptance, followed by residents.

2. Dates & Times:
There will be three poster sessions. If your poster is accepted you will be notified of your specific date, time, & location.

In order to discuss their work with attendees, poster presenters are required to staff their poster during their assigned presentation time. However, your poster may be on display for the entire day you are assigned.  A numbered list of posters will appear in the conference program of your registration packet to assist you in locating your poster space.


3: Display Format:
Here is general guidance for organizing poster content – but inexperienced authors are strongly urged to seek advice from experienced poster authors.

The poster header should be at least four inches high showing the title of the presentation and the names of the authors or presenter(s) and their institution(s). Viewers will be standing from three to six feet away from the poster, so lettering should be easily legible from that distance. Viewers often look for content to flow from their left to right, and poster authors often organize their content and graphics in columns or groupings that move from the viewer’s left to the right.

 Authors usually display the following information: a brief statement of the study question or problem, a brief description of the methods used or main program elements, graphs or figures depicting the results, and conclusions and/or recommendations. References and acknowledgements are often provided, sometimes in a font that is smaller than other poster content. Remember that the presentation is primarily a visual one, and make maximum use of figures, graphs, diagrams, and flow charts on the panels used.

 Your poster should be self-explanatory. Authors sometimes provide an accompanying handout, but this is not required. If you wish to supplement your presentation with handout material, please label it clearly with the title of your presentation.  

Size:  The poster board size will be announced in the acceptance emails.  Push pins will be supplied. 

 4. Preparation Tips:
The major components of an effective poster presentation include:
1. Statement of the Problem
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
4. Conclusion/Recommendations

General Tips: 

  • If using multiple pages for your poster presentation, number each panel/page of your poster so sequence for viewing is clear to viewer (not needed with most current “roll-out” poster formats).
  • Be sure that the connection of ideas and progression of thought is clear from one panel to another.
  • Use a minimum of text (common rule – text for a poster presentation should not exceed 25 lines per page).
  • Use lists, “bullet-points” or phrases instead of complete sentences when possible.
  • Before final production of your poster – seek feedback from one or more trusted colleagues about poster content, organization and visual design.
  • If a handout accompanies your poster presentation, label it clearly.

 NOTE: FMM does not provide electricity or audio-visual equipment for poster presentations.

  5. Editorial Assistance:

Necessary material(s) and/or labor for processing/displaying poster presentations are the sole responsibility of the presenter.

Remember, an effective poster presentation can be even more useful to its authors than an oral presentation. There is the opportunity for one-to-one discussion with viewers; the resulting feedback is frequently quite valuable. Don't try to fit everything into a poster presentation that you would include in an oral presentation. Remember that your viewers are walking by; distracted by conversation and the passage of other viewers; and looking for interesting poster presentations to return to for closer examination.

Please contact Sara Ortega at [email protected] with questions about the submission process. All poster submissions must be submitted electronically using the online call for abstracts form.  

Important Dates
  • June 12, 2023 at 11:59pm CST - Call for Abstracts Closes for Poster Submissions Only
  • Mid-July 2023 - Notification of acceptance
  • Summer 2023 - Registration Opens (FMM accepted presenters will receive a 25% discount on registration fees)
  • August 28, 2023 – All presentations & poster information due to IAFP
  • September 29 - October 1, 2023 – Conference