How to present at a medical congress

The email says "abstract accepted for poster presentation". The joy lasts until the next question: now what? The conference is in six weeks, the poster has a set size, an evaluator will be walking past the boards and, if all goes well, someone will ask a hard question in front of colleagues from other schools.

NEXO is a daily medical diagnosis game: one clinical case a day, six progressive clues, and ICD-10 proximity feedback across five levels.

Presenting at a conference is one of the first public experiences for anyone doing research as an undergraduate. It teaches you to summarize a project, to speak clearly and to listen to criticism. This guide shows what studies say about the fate of submitted abstracts, how to write an abstract that gets accepted, how to put the poster together and prepare the oral presentation, how to answer questions and how to turn the abstract into an article.

Key points

• The abstract is the entry point: it needs a clear question, methods, results with numbers and a conclusion that the data support.
• Fewer than half of the results presented as abstracts at biomedical conferences are eventually published as full articles.
• At medical student conferences in Peru, only a small share of abstracts became publications.
• Posters and oral presentations had similar rates of later publication in a study of medical education projects.
• Having presented at a conference before the course was associated with the intention to pursue a research career.

Why present at a conference

Learning to summarize

A conference abstract has only a few hundred words. Fitting into that space forces you to decide what the main message of the project is, which is the same skill as a good case presentation or a good progress note in the chart.

Getting criticism early

A conference is a place of exchange. Evaluators and colleagues point out weaknesses that can be corrected before submitting to a journal. Hearing this at the poster is far gentler than in a reviewer's report.

Getting to know the field from the inside

Conferences show who researches what, which questions are open and how specialists discuss them. For those still choosing a field, it is a useful window, and for those who have already chosen, it is a chance to meet groups and programs.

A signal for a career

In a study with first-year students at American medical schools, having presented at a conference before enrollment was associated with the intention to pursue a research career (Hajduk et al., 2026). The association is cross-sectional and does not show cause, but it indicates that presenting is part of the path of those who move closer to research.

A conference made for students

A national research conference in neurosurgery and neurology created for medical students in the United States brought together 55 participants over two editions (Barrios-Anderson et al., 2021). Participants rated it as a valuable opportunity to present research in an environment suited to practice and improvement (Barrios-Anderson et al., 2021). Academic student conferences, common in Brazil, serve the same role as a first stage.

How to write the abstract

Read the rules before writing

Each conference sets a word or character limit, a required structure, categories and rules for case reports. Abstracts outside the rules are usually rejected without review of the content. Also check the deadline, the system's time zone and who can be the presenting author.

The classic structure

• Introduction: the problem and the gap, in two or three sentences.
• Objective: one sentence with the study question.
• Methods: design, population, period, setting, main variables and analysis.
• Results: concrete numbers, with the sample size and the main measures.
• Conclusion: what the data show, without going beyond them.

Common mistakes

The most frequent mistake is writing "results will be presented" instead of showing the results. Others are conclusions larger than the data, vague methods and too many abbreviations. An evaluator reads dozens of abstracts; yours needs to be understood on the first reading.

Case reports

Case reports are accepted at many student conferences. A good report explains why the case is relevant, describes the presentation and the investigation in order and ends with a clear lesson. Patient consent and the removal of identifiable data are mandatory.

Authorship

Agree on the author order before submission. Authorship assumes a real contribution to the work and to the text, and all authors must approve the submitted version.

How to put together the poster

Less text, more reading

A poster is read standing up, at one or two meters, in a few minutes. Use short titles, brief sentences, a large font and plenty of white space. The title of the work must be legible from a distance.

A clear visual order

Organize the content in columns, from left to right and from top to bottom. Highlight the main message, preferably in a box with the conclusion. Simple graphs communicate better than long tables.

Figures and colors

Prefer few well-captioned graphs. Use colors with enough contrast and avoid combinations that are hard for people with color blindness, such as red and green side by side. Images of patients require consent and anonymization.

The presentation at the panel

Prepare a one to three minute talk that tells the story of the work: the problem, what you did, what you found and what it means. Stay next to the poster at the scheduled time and invite passersby to talk.

How to prepare the oral presentation

Time rules

Oral presentations at conferences usually last five to ten minutes. Count one slide per minute, at most, and set aside time for questions. Going over time is the mistake the audience and the evaluators remember most.

Slides that help

One slide, one idea. Titles that state the slide's conclusion, such as "adherence fell after the third month", work better than generic titles, such as "results". Avoid reading the slides aloud; they support the talk, they do not replace it.

Rehearse with an audience

Rehearse aloud, with a timer, at least three times, one of them for colleagues or for your advisor. Ask them to pose hard questions. Record a rehearsal and watch it: verbal tics and pacing show up clearly.

How to answer questions

• Listen to the end and, if needed, repeat the question for the audience.
• Answer briefly and return to the data.
• Acknowledge limitations: "it is a limitation of the study" is an honest answer and well received.
• When you do not know, say you do not know and offer to talk later.
• Thank them for the criticism, even when it seems harsh.

Nervousness

Nervousness is expected, even among experienced presenters. Preparation, rehearsal and the reminder that the audience wants you to do well reduce the tension. When insecurity becomes the feeling of being a fraud, the guide on impostor syndrome in this series can help.

The day before and the day itself

Check the required file format and take one copy on a flash drive and another in the cloud. Arrive at the room before the session, test the projector and the slide clicker and find out who keeps time. In the case of the poster, confirm the setup time, bring mounting material and a smaller printed version to hand to anyone who asks. After the session, write down the questions you received: they show what needs to be clearer in the article.

Poster or oral?

In a study of medical education projects presented at a national pediatrics meeting between 1998 and 2008, 67% of the projects were shared later, and 34% became publications (Smith et al., 2014). The dissemination rates did not vary between poster and oral presentation (Smith et al., 2014). The format matters less than what you do with the work afterward.

From abstract to article

The fate of abstracts

A Cochrane review gathered 425 reports on 307,028 abstracts and found full publication of 37.3% of the results presented as abstracts (Scherer et al., 2018). Positive results were more likely to be published, which characterizes publication bias (Scherer et al., 2018).

An earlier review estimated that 27% of biomedical conference abstracts were published two years later and 44% after six years (von Elm et al., 2003). Most of what is presented at conferences, therefore, never becomes an article.

At student conferences

A study of 532 abstracts from national scientific conferences of medical students in Peru found that 9.8% of them were published in journals (Toro-Polo et al., 2012). The median time to publication was 13 months (Toro-Polo et al., 2012).

The numbers show where the gap is: presenting is the halfway point. For those who want to publish, the work continues after the congress.

The Cochrane review also found a higher publication rate in reports from English-speaking countries, which suggests that studies from other countries may be under-represented in the literature (Scherer et al., 2018). For Brazilian students, it is one more reason to take good work through to publication.

How to close the cycle

• Set a date with your supervisor right after the congress to start the manuscript.
• Use the criticism received at the poster session or in the oral session.
• Choose the journal before writing, so you follow its rules from the start.
• Divide tasks among the authors, with deadlines.
• Record the presentation on your CV; the Lattes CV has its own guide in this series.

Read your own work with a critical eye

Before submitting, apply to your manuscript the same script you would use on someone else's article: is the question clear, does the design answer it, do the results support the conclusion? Critical reading of articles has its own guide in this series.

Case clarity in NEXO

Presenting well means choosing what matters. The NEXO case of the day trains that selection in reverse: each fictional case, with a real clinical presentation, arrives in up to six clues, and the challenge is to notice which of them change the reasoning. Those who get used to separating essential information from detail write clearer abstracts and more direct case reports.

The guide what NEXO is explains the whole game, and the release of the modes is on the NEXO economy page. To organize a patient's history, the guide on clinical reasoning in the medical record is a good complement.

If you coordinate a medical school, a student league or a residency program and want cases to train case reports, see NEXO Closer. Researchers in medical education can propose studies through NEXO Researcher. Doctors who review cases take part through NEXO Curator, and those who create health content on social media can take part through NEXO Creators.

Frequently asked questions

How do you write an abstract for a congress?

Follow the event's rules and the structure of introduction, objective, methods, results with numbers and a conclusion supported by the data.

Poster or oral presentation: which is worth more?

In a study of medical education projects, the later dissemination rates were similar (Smith et al., 2014).

How many abstracts become articles?

A Cochrane review found full publication of 37.3% of the results presented as abstracts (Scherer et al., 2018).

How do you put together a good poster?

Little text, large font, a clear visual order and the main message in evidence.

How do you handle difficult questions?

Listen to the end, answer briefly, acknowledge limits and offer to talk later when you do not know.

Can a case report be presented?

Yes, at many congresses, with the patient's consent and no identifiable data.

Congress checklist

1. Read the rules of the event.
2. Write results with numbers.
3. Agree on authorship before submitting.
4. Highlight the conclusion on the poster.
5. Rehearse with a timer and an audience.
6. Prepare answers for difficult questions.
7. Set the date for the manuscript.

Want to train separating the essential from the detail? Play the case of the day on NEXO.

References

1. Hajduk AM, O'Connell M, Aviles A, Herrin J, Nguyen M, Venkataraman S, et al. Longitudinal Evaluation of Research Career Intentions Among US Medical Students. JAMA Netw Open. 2026. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42118538/
2. Barrios-Anderson A, Liu DD, Snead J, Wu E, Lee DJ, Robbins J, et al. The National Student Neurosurgical Research Conference: A Research Conference for Medical Students. World Neurosurg. 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33130142/
3. Smith S, Kind T, Beck G, Schiller J, McLauchlan H, Harris M, et al. Further dissemination of medical education projects after presentation at a pediatric national meeting (1998-2008). Teach Learn Med. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24405340/
4. Scherer RW, Meerpohl JJ, Pfeifer N, Schmucker C, Schwarzer G, von Elm E. Full publication of results initially presented in abstracts. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30480762/
5. von Elm E, Costanza MC, Walder B, Tramèr MR. More insight into the fate of biomedical meeting abstracts: a systematic review. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2003. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12854973/
6. Toro-Polo M, Pereyra-Elías R, Nizama-Vía A, Ng-Sueng LF, Vélez-Segovia E, Galán-Rodas E, et al. Publication of summaries presented at the scientific congresses of medical students, Peru 2002-2009: characteristics and related factors. Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23338630/