“Presenting my research last year was an indelible, fulfilling experience,” recalled Dr. Kaitlin Zaki-Metias.
An incredible opportunity awaits to showcase your research to your peers and the rest of the Canadian radiology community, and it all starts with submitting an abstract for CAR 2024.
Every year, the oral presentations and educational exhibits are a pinnacle feature of the CAR Annual Scientific Meeting. The open call for abstracts draws research on varied topics from within Canada and abroad from those aiming to share their work and ideas.
At CAR 2023, Dr. Zaki-Metias and her research team took part in the Radiologist-in-Training Research Project Competition by presenting their work entitled A Lateral Point of View on Bone Mineral Densitometry: A Single Center Retrospective Analysis. She looks back on her presentation with gratitude for the professional experience she earned.
“Interacting with and answering questions from the judges and attendees was quite rewarding and educational,” she said. “I appreciated the opportunity to share the work carried out at my institution while honing my public speaking skills. The judges’ thoughtful remarks also gave me the opportunity to critically assess my own work and approach my research with a refreshed viewpoint.”
Dr. Pamela Boustros led a research team that presented Assessment of Hepatic Steatosis on B-Mode Ultrasound by Radiologists and Deep Learning. She says the experience taught her the fundamentals of presenting research and public speaking.
“I learned the key elements to prepare effectively for an oral presentation of a research project, like creating slides with concise information and no visual distractions that transmit the appropriate information within the time constraint. Furthermore, I learned to foresee potential audience questions and prepare annexed slides in response to those in advance,” she said. “Being a presenter was also a great exercise to organize my thoughts logically and gave me a deeper understanding of my research topic.”
Dr. Boustros noted that being prepared is key for delivering a quality presentation.
“Presenters will significantly benefit from a practice run of their research at their institutions with co-residents and staff. This exercise will give them the feedback needed to modify slides, find succinct phrases to deliver their findings, and anticipate audience questions.”
Dr. Zaki-Metias noted that there is much to be gained from being a participatory audience member as well as presenting.
“Watching my peers present their work was inspiring and allowed me to get a glimpse into the work being carried out at various Canadian institutions. This experience was a fantastic way to network with other presenting trainees to discuss our work and further reinforced the vibrant and collaborative Canadian radiology community we are privileged to be a part of.”
“Being in the audience was particularly remarkable because it exposed me to diverse research topics and taught me about research methodologies and analysis techniques from my colleagues,” echoed Dr. Boustros. “After each presentation, listening to the judges and audience feedback greatly enhanced my constructive critique skills.”
For CAR 2024, which takes place in Montreal from April 11-14, there are four categories under which researchers can submit their abstracts, including the newly added Quality Improvement category:
- Educational Exhibits
- Quality Improvement – NEW for CAR 2024
- Radiologists-in-Training Research Project – Trainees only
- Scientific Research Project
Another new feature for the coming year is the Invited Paper Opportunity, facilitated in collaboration with the CAR Journal (CARJ), where submitted abstracts will also be considered for potential publication in the CARJ, the country’s leading academic journal in the field of radiology.
If you are mulling over possibly submitting an abstract and presenting your work, Dr. Zaki-Metias encourages you not to hesitate and go for it.
“I would advise others who want to present at CAR 2024 to submit their abstracts! There is nothing to be lost by submitting your work and sharing it with the rest of the radiology community.”
The CAR 2024 call for abstracts is currently open. Those interested in taking part are encouraged to submit their abstract under any of the above categories before the deadline on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 11:59pm ET.