how to do a medical poster presentation

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• PLoS Comput Biol
• v.3(5); 2007 May

Ten Simple Rules for a Good Poster Presentation

Posters are a key component of communicating your science and an important element in a successful scientific career. Posters, while delivering the same high-quality science, offer a different medium from either oral presentations [ 1 ] or published papers [ 2 ], and should be treated accordingly. Posters should be considered a snapshot of your work intended to engage colleagues in a dialog about the work, or, if you are not present, to be a summary that will encourage the reader to want to learn more. Many a lifelong collaboration [ 3 ] has begun in front of a poster board. Here are ten simple rules for maximizing the return on the time-consuming process of preparing and presenting an effective poster.

The purpose will vary depending on the status and nature of the work being presented, as well as the intent. Some posters are designed to be used again and again; for example, those making conference attendees aware of a shared resource. Others will likely be used once at a conference and then be relegated to the wall in the laboratory. Before you start preparing the poster, ask yourself the following questions: What do you want the person passing by your poster to do? Engage in a discussion about the content? Learn enough to go off and want to try something for themselves? Want to collaborate? All the above, or none of the above but something else? Style your poster accordingly.

Rule 2: Sell Your Work in Ten Seconds

Some conferences will present hundreds of posters; you will need to fight for attention. The first impressions of your poster, and to a lesser extent what you might say when standing in front of it, are crucial. It is analogous to being in an elevator and having a few seconds to peak someone's interest before they get off. The sad truth is that you have to sell your work. One approach is to pose your work as addressing a decisive question, which you then address as best you can. Once you have posed the question, which may well also be the motivation for the study, the focus of your poster should be on addressing that question in a clear and concise way.

The title is a good way to sell your work. It may be the only thing the conference attendee sees before they reach your poster. The title should make them want to come and visit. The title might pose a decisive question, define the scope of the study, or hint at a new finding. Above all, the title should be short and comprehensible to a broad audience. The title is your equivalent of a newspaper headline—short, sharp, and compelling.

Do not take the acceptance of a poster as an endorsement of your work. Conferences need attendees to be financially viable. Many attendees who are there on grants cannot justify attending a conference unless they present. There are a small number of speaking slots compared with attendees. How to solve the dilemma? Enter posters; this way everyone can present. In other words, your poster has not been endorsed, just accepted. To get endorsement from your peers, do good science and present it well on the poster.

Identify your audience and provide the appropriate scope and depth of content. If the conference includes nonspecialists, cater to them. Just as the abstract of a paper needs to be a succinct summary of the motivation, hypothesis to be tested, major results, and conclusions, so does your poster.

The amount of material presented in a paper far outweighs what is presented on a poster. A poster requires you to distill the work, yet not lose the message or the logical flow. Posters need to be viewed from a distance, but can take advantage of your presence. Posters can be used as a distribution medium for copies of associated papers, supplementary information, and other handouts. Posters allow you to be more speculative. Often only the titles or at most the abstracts of posters can be considered published; that is, widely distributed. Mostly, they may never be seen again. There is the opportunity to say more than you would in the traditional literature, which for all intents and purposes will be part of the immutable record. Take advantage of these unique features.

Pop musician Keith Richards put the matter well in an interview with Der Spiegel [ 4 ]: “If you are a painter, then the most important thing is the bare canvas. A good painter will never cover all the space but will always leave some blank. My canvas is silence.” Your canvas as poster presenter is also white space. Guide the passerby's eyes from one succinct frame to another in a logical fashion from beginning to end. Unlike the literature, which is linear by virtue of one page following another, the reader of a poster is free to wander over the pages as if they are tacked to the poster board in a random order. Guide the reader with arrows, numbering, or whatever else makes sense in getting them to move from one logical step to another. Try to do this guiding in an unusual and eye-catching way. Look for appropriate layouts in the posters of others and adopt some of their approaches. Finally, never use less than a size 24 point font, and make sure the main points can be read at eye level.

Everything on the poster should help convey the message. The text must conform to the norms of sound scientific reporting: clarity, precision of expression, and economy of words. The latter is particularly important for posters because of their inherent space limitations. Use of first-rate pictorial material to illustrate a poster can sometimes transform what would otherwise be a bewildering mass of complex data into a coherent and convincing story. One carefully produced chart or graph often says more than hundreds of words. Use graphics for “clear portrayal of complexity” [ 5 ], not to impress (and possibly bewilder) viewers with complex artistry. Allow a figure to be viewed in both a superficial and a detailed way. For example, a large table might have bold swaths of color indicating relative contributions from different categories, and the smaller text in the table would provide gritty details for those who want them. Likewise, a graph could provide a bold trend line (with its interpretation clearly and concisely stated), and also have many detailed points with error bars. Have a clear and obvious set of conclusions—after the abstract, this is where the passerby's eyes will wander. Only then will they go to the results, followed by the methods.

A poster is a different medium from a paper, which is conventionally dry and impersonal. Think of your poster as an extension of your personality. Use it to draw the passerby to take a closer look or to want to talk to you. Scientific collaboration often starts for reasons other than the shared scientific interest, such as a personal interest. A photo of you on the poster not only helps someone find you at the conference when you are not at the poster, it can also be used to illustrate a hobby or an interest that can open a conversation.

When the considerable effort of making a poster is done, do not blow it on presentation day by failing to have the poster achieve maximum impact. This requires the right presenter–audience interaction. Work to get a crowd by being engaging; one engaged viewer will attract others. Don't badger people, let them read. Be ready with Rule 2. Work all the audience at once, do not leave visitors waiting for your attention. Make eye contact with every visitor.

Make it easy for a conference attendee to contact you afterward. Have copies of relevant papers on hand as well as copies of the poster on standard-sized paper. For work that is more mature, have the poster online and make the URL available as a handout. Have your e-mail and other demographics clearly displayed. Follow up with people who come to the poster by having a signup sheet.

The visitor is more likely to remember you than the content of your poster. Make yourself easy to remember. As the host of the work presented on the poster, be attentive, open, and curious, and self-confident but never arrogant and aggressive. Leave the visitors space and time—they can “travel” through your poster at their own discretion and pace. If a visitor asks a question, talk simply and openly about the work. This is likely your opportunity to get feedback on the work before it goes to publication. Better to be tripped up in front of your poster than by a reviewer of the manuscript.

Good posters and their presentations can improve your reputation, both within and outside your working group and institution, and may also contribute to a certain scientific freedom. Poster prizes count when peers look at your resume.

These ten rules will hopefully help you in preparing better posters. For a more humorous view on what not to do in preparing a poster, see [ 6 ], and for further information, including the opportunity to practice your German, see [ 7 ]. 

Acknowledgments

Thomas Erren's contributions to this piece are based on [ 7 ] and were stimulated by exchanges with Michael Jacobsen. Thanks also to Steven E. Brenner for useful input.

Thomas C. Erren is with the Institute and Policlinic for Occupational and Social Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Cologne, Lindenthal, Germany. Philip E. Bourne is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America.

Funding. The authors received no specific funding for this article.

Competing interests. The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

• Bourne PE. Ten simple rules for making good oral presentations. PLoS Comput Biol. 2007; 3 :e77. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.0030077 . [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Bourne PE. Ten simple rules for getting published. PLoS Comput Biol. 2005; 1 :e57. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.0010057 . [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Vicens Q, Bourne PE. Ten simple rules for a successful collaboration. PLoS Comput Biol. 2007; 3 :e44. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.0030044 . [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Interview with Keith Richards. Meine Leinwand ist die Stille. Der Spiegel. 1998; 45 :167–170. [ Google Scholar ]
• Tufte ER. The visual display of quantitative information. Cheshire (Connecticut): Graphics Press; 2001. p. 191. [ Google Scholar ]
• Wolcott TG. Mortal sins in poster presentations or how to give the poster no one remembers. Newsletter Soc Integr Compar Biol Fall. 1997. pp. 10–11. Available: http://www.sicb.org/newsletters/fa97nl/sicb/poster.html . Accessed 23 April 2007.
• Erren TC. Schau mich an! Ein Leitfaden zur Erstellung und Präsentation von Postern in der Medizin und den Naturwissenschaften. München/Wien/New York: W. Zuckschwerdt Verlag; 2006. [ Google Scholar ]

How to create an effective poster presentation

Organizers of nursing conferences depend on nurses who have created new programs or are doing research to submit their work for presentation at conferences. Through these presentations, nursing knowledge is disseminated.

If you belong to a professional organization, you’ve probably received at least one call for abstracts. Arriving well in advance of the conference date, this is an invitation to submit an abstract for presentation at the conference. You may have the choice of submitting an abstract for either an oral (podium) presentation or a poster presentation. Poster presentations can be a good way to get started presenting your work—and they’re a great opportunity to get feedback and suggestions from colleagues.

Congrats! Now get started.

It’s exciting to get a letter or e-mail telling you that your poster proposal has been accepted for a conference. But don’t waste timing resting on your laurels. When asked what they’ve learned about doing posters, many experienced presenters say they wish they’d begun their poster design earlier because the process took much longer than they anticipated. So to avoid a time crunch, start designing your poster shortly after your abstract is accepted.

Creating a compelling poster

Avoiding copyright violations in educational presentations

Four steps to preparing irresistible presentations

Plan the size, content, and layout

Unlike an oral presentation, the poster itself should do most of the talking about your project. Good design matters. It allows you to tell the “story” of your work more effectively.

Begin by carefully reviewing the poster guidelines for the conference. These guidelines specify what size the poster should be and how it will be displayed—tabletop, corkboard, or easel. Poster size affects how much information you can put on the poster. Allowable poster sizes for conferences vary widely.

Poster content should closely follow the format of the abstract you submitted. But keep in mind that a poster is not an abstract. With a poster, your goal is to tell a clear, simple story of your work. If your poster topic is a project or an organizational innovation, see Sample conference poster for ideas on what content to put where by clicking on the PDF icon above.

In contrast, a poster that presents research findings should include:

• background and significance of the study
• aims of the study
• discussion and implications.

Many healthcare organizations and universities have graphic design resources available to assist with poster design. Some organizations even ask presenters to use a specific template. Today many posters are designed with Microsoft PowerPoint templates, but you can also lay out the sections of your poster on a large piece of poster board (available at art supply or office supply stores) before finalizing it. Or you might consider using an Internet vendor (such as www.makesigns.com ). Many vendors not only guide you through poster design but also can print and ship your poster.

Use a “less is more” design

The maxim “less is more” is good advice to follow for a poster. Although you may be tempted to include every detail of your project or research, you won’t have enough space to do this. What’s more, you shouldn’t do this; it would make your poster too busy. Here are some design tips to follow:

• Leave adequate white space . Some empty space is critical to readability and legibility. Without it, the reader has no visual pauses.
• Convey your message clearly. The poster should capture the attention of attendees and convey at least one significant idea they’ll remember. Most people spend 3 to 5 minutes viewing a poster, so use plain, descriptive language that leaves no doubt what your poster is about. Generally, posters are read from left to right; organize the content with this in mind. When possible, lead the viewer through the logical flow using bold take-home points or arrows.
• Use a visual image . People retain visual images longer than the written word, so aim for at least one visual image—a photograph, an illustration, a graph.
• Make it readable . Design the poster so it can be read from a distance of 4′ to 6′. To accomplish this, lettering has to be at least 1″ high. The title should be readable from 15′ to 20′ away, with letters 2″ to 3″ high. Try to have high contrast between the background and text. Generally, a lighter background with darker text is easier to read.
• Pick fonts carefully . Arial and Tahoma are examples of nonserif fonts that work well for poster titles. Serif fonts, such as Times New Roman and Courier, are easier to read at smaller sizes and work well for body text. Having too many font types on a poster can be distracting, so use at most two to three fonts, with bold or italics for emphasis only. Avoid all uppercase letters (capitals) in your poster, as this makes material harder to read.
• Use color sparingly. Although most presenters want colorful posters, color must be incorporated carefully. Blue and green are popular because they’re considered calming.
• Ask colleagues for help . If this is your first time designing a poster, ask an experienced colleague for help. Before the poster is printed, have colleagues familiar with your subject area review it for clarity and possible errors. Proofread the poster carefully before you transport it to the conference.

Transporting and setting up your poster

Posters can be delivered to the conference site by overnight services, such as FedEx or UPS, but many presenters prefer to hand-carry them in poster canisters or portfolios. Normally, posters are set up just before the conference begins. You should receive advance guidelines from conference organizers telling you how to set up your poster. If the poster will be attached to corkboard, find out if you’re expected to bring the required materials (usually pushpins or Velcro strips) to adhere it.

Most professional meeting agendas set aside specific times for poster presentations. Many organizations offer continuing education credit for poster session attendance. Be aware that if your poster is accepted at a conference, a presenter familiar with the project or research is expected to be available during poster sessions to answer questions.

A networking opportunity

Poster presentations are excellent opportunities not just to showcase your work but also to network with colleagues who have similar interests. Effective presenters introduce themselves to attendees and “walk” them through their poster, often adding information that they think will interest them. Some attendees may want to take the information back to their organizations, so consider having handouts available to distribute at the conference. Also, bring your business cards or written contact information to give to participants.

From poster to article?

Interest in your poster by conference attendees may inspire you to take the next step—turning it into an article. Often, journal editors attend specialty conferences and visit poster exhibits. This can be a good opportunity to query them about their journals’ potential interest in your topic.

Presenting a poster is a chance to learn from attendees about aspects of your work that particularly resonate with your audience. This can give you a better idea of how to present your work in a journal article to ensure it’s informative and interesting and provides clear implications for the nursing profession.

Poster sessions have become an important part of most professional conferences and are an excellent way for presenters to share their work. Enjoy the experience of proudly standing next to your poster and discussing your work with interested colleagues.

Selected references

Blakesley D, Brizee A. Designing research posters. Purdue University Writing Lab. 2008. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20080626013023_727.pdf . Accessed July 20, 2010.

Briggs DJ. A practical guide to designing posters for presentation. Nurs Stand . 2009;23(34):35-39.

Halligan P. Poster presentations: valuing all forms of evidence. Nurse Educ Pract . 2008;8:41-45.

Keely BR. Planning and creating effective scientific posters. J Contin Educ Nurs . 2004;35(4):182-185.

Moore LW, Augspurger P, King MO, Proffitt C. Insights on the poster presentation and presentation process. Appl Nurs Res . 2001;14(2):100-104.

Sherman RO. Writing abstracts for podium and poster presentations. In: Saver C. ed. Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses . Indianapolis, IN: Sigma Theta Tau International; 2011.

University of Buffalo Libraries. Poster presentations: designing effective posters. http://library.buffalo.edu/asl/guides/bio/posters.html . Accessed July 20, 2010.

Rose O. Sherman is director of the Nursing Leadership Institute and associate professor of nursing at the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. She can be reached at [email protected].

2 Comments .

Hello, you used to write great, but the last several posts have been kinda boring… I miss your tremendous writings. Past several posts are just a bit out of track! come on!

Thank you so much for this information. I have been wondering how I was going to proceed. You’ve given me a lot of ideas.

Comments are closed.

NurseLine Newsletter

• First Name *
• Last Name *
• Hidden Referrer

*By submitting your e-mail, you are opting in to receiving information from Healthcom Media and Affiliates. The details, including your email address/mobile number, may be used to keep you informed about future products and services.

Test Your Knowledge

Recent posts.

How to strengthen your writing with inclusive, bias-free language

Breaking barriers: Nursing education in a wheelchair

Effective clinical learning for nursing students

AI takeaways from writing conference

My old stethoscope

The transformational role of charge nurses in the post-pandemic era

Will Machines Replace Us?

Tips for successful interprofessional collaborative writing: Part 2

Nursing professional development at night

Tips for successful interprofessional collaborative writing: Part 1

Engaging nurses in scholarly work

Mentorship matters

2023 nursing trends and salary survey results

One nurse’s perspective: How to resolve the high cost of healthcare in the United States

Proofreading: A quality-improvement tool to ensure accuracy

• Electrophysiology Rigs
• Multiphoton Imaging
• Optogenetics and Uncaging
• Manipulators
• Microscopes
• Stages and Platforms
• By technique
• Electrophysiology
• Three-Photon Imaging
• Two-Photon Imaging
• Optogenetics
• Fluorescence Imaging
• Microinjection
• Network Studies
• Learning Zone
• Case Studies
• Events News
• Careers at Scientifica
• Research Jobs
• Company News
• Our Service & Support
• Distributors

Tips for presenting your scientific poster at a conference

A scientific poster is a visual presentation that summarises your research findings and is typically displayed at conferences or academic events. Presenting one can be intimidating, but it's a valuable opportunity for feedback and confidence-building. Check out our top 9 top tips for successfully presenting your poster at a scientific conference.

Be welcoming

You should do your best to stand at your poster for the entirety of the conference poster session. If you do need to leave your poster for any reason, ensure you include your email address on it, so you can be contacted by conference attendees who may read your poster while you are not there. Read more tips for making your poster stand out here.

To make everyone feel welcome, stand to the side of your poster. This will make it easy for your potential audience to move closer and see the whole thing.

Think of your poster as a conversation starter. Smile and say hello to everyone who walks past and looks at you or your poster. Invite them to read more and, if they seem interested, ask if they would like you to talk them through it or if they have any questions.

Engage your audience

Remember to be enthusiastic - your research is exciting! Even towards the end of the poster session, when your energy levels may be lower, it is important to remain enthusiastic. If it is clear you find your work interesting, your audience are more likely to as well!

As you are presenting your poster, point to relevant parts of the poster so that people can follow as your talk through it. Try to avoid putting your hands in your pockets or behind your back.

Remember to also keep looking back at the audience, to keep them engaged and feeling involved in the presentation.

If you are already presenting your research to someone or a small group and someone else walks up, acknowledge them by making eye contact with them and smiling. Once you have finished with your initial visitors ask the newcomer if there was anything they missed that they would like a further explanation of, or whether they have any questions.

The most important aspect of presenting a poster at a conference is to make the most out of the opportunity you’ve been given. Who knows what might become of an interaction that you have in front of that notice board?

Tips for presenting your scientific poster at a conference: Engage your audience

The “elevator” pitch

First impressions really count in poster presentations. To pique the interest of your potential audience you should have a very short synopsis (maximum three sentences and no longer than two minutes) of your research prepared, which contains three vital bits of information:

• What is your research topic?
• What have you found?
• Why is that important?

The aim here is to get your audience hooked and wanting further details. Keep the bigger picture in mind, as the audience first needs the background info to then get excited about the small details of your research. Make sure your pitch is punchy, intriguing and relevant.

Creating a story

Once you’ve reeled in your audience and they are eager to learn more, it’s time to build the narrative of your research. Like all great stories your research needs a beginning, a middle and an end. Aim for this to be 10 minutes long, or less.

The introduction should set the scene and introduce the main characters:

• What is the necessary background information about your research topic that the audience must know?
• How did this lead you to your research question, what were you hoping to find out and why?
• Who are the main characters (e.g. a disease, a drug, a cell type, a brain region, a technique)? What are the relevant parts of their “characteristics” to the story?

The middle section is the adventure, it answers:

• How did you get from your research question to your conclusion? Why did you choose to take that route?
• What did you find on your way? Were there any interesting twists to your research?

The final section is the conclusion to the story:

• What is the ultimate consequence of your journey? What does this mean for your characters?
• Is this really the end of the adventure or are there plenty more adventures still to come? What might they look like?

Remember: You are the narrator; it is up to you as the story teller to make the content both compelling and exciting. Attendees are not all experts in your field.; if you are unsure how familiar your audience is with your subject area, ask them.

Tips for presenting your scientific poster at a conference: Create a story

The importance of practice

Presenting your poster is ultimately a form of performance. In performances, whether they involve acting, music, sport or presenting, practice is a major factor in success. After all, however much of a cliché it is: practice makes perfect. Rehearse what you will say and practice presenting on your friends and family. Once you begin speaking at your poster session you will be pleased that you spent time preparing and practising.

Before the poster session starts make sure that you:

• Understand exactly what all the figures on the poster show, that you can explain them fully and know their full implications.
• Have your elevator pitch memorised
• Know all the key points to your research story without referring to written notes
• Are ready to answer likely questions with confidence, and know how to deal with difficult questions that you might not be able to answer fully.

Tips for presenting your scientific poster at a conference: Practice, practice, practice

Check the audience's understanding

Ask members of the audience whether you have been clear or if you should go into more detail, rather than asking if they understand, as this could make them feel stupid or ignorant.

For example, say something like “Have I been clear enough” or “should I go into more detail about……?” instead of “do you understand how this works?”

The handout

There are pros and cons to having a handout with additional supporting materials or key information from your poster. You must decide for yourself if it will be of benefit to you depending on several factors including:

• What is the purpose of your poster?
• What are you hoping to achieve with your presentation?
• Will it enhance your audience’s engagement with your research or not?

The major positive outcome of a handout is that gives your audience something to take away with them to remind them about you, your research and why they were interested in it. It also gives them a way to get in touch with you should they have further questions.

The main negative is that some people who may be interested and could benefit from speaking to you about your poster will take the leaflet, read it (or not) and never engage with your research again. It is an easy way for them to avoid talking to you, for whatever reason that may be.

If you decide to go ahead with a handout there are several items that should be included:

• The project title
• Your name and affiliation
• Your professional email address (and phone number if your happy for people to contact you that way)
• The key information from your poster (including a link to the relevant paper if it has already been published.
• Any supporting materials not included on the poster that may be of help.

Tips for presenting your scientific poster at a conference: The handout

Expand your network

Look for opportunities to exchange contact information. If someone is particularly interested in your poster and wants to know all the details of your research, it may be better to suggest meeting them for a coffee after the poster session, or arranging another time for further discussions. This will ensure that other potential audience members don’t get bored and wander off without talking to you because they have been waiting too long.

Exchanging contact information and having further discussions can be a great way to expand your network and find potential collaborators for the future.

Tips for presenting your scientific poster at a conference: Expand your network

Dealing with feedback

It is important to welcome feedback, be prepared for discussion and not to be too defensive in the face of criticism.

If someone asks you a question or makes a comment that you don’t think is relevant, ask them to explain the relevance of their comment. They may have stumbled across something that you haven’t thought of because of their fresh perspective on the topic, or they might just not understand your research. Also, a negative comment or question might not actually be a criticism, but a genuine desire to understand why you’ve done something so they can fully interpret the poster. It is unlikely that someone has visited your poster to be vindictive, and if they have it is important not to engage them, shrug off their comments and move on to the next person who is genuinely interested.

Remember to thank the audience for listening and thank them for their feedback. People who have visited your poster could potentially be employers or colleagues in the future.

You got this!

In summary, presenting your poster at a conference is a chance to showcase your research, receive feedback, and connect with peers. Embrace the opportunity, be welcoming and enthusiastic, and enjoy the experience of sharing your work with others.

Neurowire blog posts

How to make your scientific posters stand out

Less is more: Advice for keeping your poster concise

10 tips for presenting your poster online at a virtual conference

How to get the most out of a scientific conference

9 simple and effective public speaking tips for scientists

Contact Form

* denotes required field

• Sign me up for the Scientifica newsletter to receive news based on the above interests
• I agree to my data being held and processed in accordance with the privacy policy *

0" x-text="errorMessage" class="tw-text-red-500">

Get more advice

Receive the latest tips straight to your inbox

Presentation Skills Toolkit for Medical Students

New section.

The ability to design and deliver an effective presentation is an important skill for all learners to develop. The Undergraduate Medical Education Section of the Group on Educational Affairs developed this toolkit as a resource for medical students and health professions trainees as you learn to create and give effective presentations in the classroom, in the clinical setting, and at academic meetings and conferences. In this toolkit, you’ll find helpful resources on developing and delivering formal lectures and presentations, poster and oral abstract presentations, patient presentations, and leading small group sessions.

Please note: Availability of resources may change over time. To suggest edits or updates, email  [email protected] .

On this page:

Formal lectures and presentations, posters and abstracts, patient presentations.

• Leading Small Groups

Traditional academic presentations in medicine and the biomedical sciences are necessarily dense with complex content. Thus, slides tend to be wordy, and presenters may use their slides as cue cards for themselves rather than as tools to facilitate learning for their audience. With the necessary resources, medical students (and presenters at all levels) can better identify appropriate learning objectives and develop presentations that help learners meet those objectives. Organization of content, clarity of slide design, and professional delivery are all essential components to designing and giving effective formal presentations.

Achieving all of these elements can make creating and delivering a formal presentation challenging. The strategies and resources below can help you develop a successful formal presentation.

View long description of infographic .

Strategies for success

• Define the objectives of the presentation. Always define learning objectives for each of your lectures to make it clear what knowledge or skills the audience should acquire from your presentation. The best learning objectives define specific, measurable, or observable knowledge or skill gains. Furthermore, consider how to communicate the importance of the topic to your audience and how information should be arranged to best communicate your key points.
• Design an effective slide set. You should begin creating your slides only after defining your objectives and key points. The slides should support your talk but not be your talk. Keep slides simple. The audience should be able to review a slide and grasp key points quickly. Avoid lengthy text and distracting decorative fonts, clip art, graphs, and pictures. If additional wording or images are necessary, consider handouts or alternative methods of sharing this information. Lastly, design your slide deck to emphasize the key points, revisiting your outline as necessary, and summarize concepts at regular intervals throughout your presentation to strengthen knowledge gains.  
• Practice your performance. Effective public speaking starts with preparation and practice. Ensure there is enough time to create your lecture and a supporting slide deck. Know your lecture material and slides without prompts! Understand the audience and learning climate (the size and knowledge level of your audience) and be prepared for the venue (virtual, in-person, or both, lecture hall or classroom). Think about what effective audience engagement may look like and how to incorporate audience response systems, polling, etc., into the lecture.
• Create a positive learning environment. Anticipate questions and allocate sufficient time to answer them. Always repeat the questions being asked for the audience’s benefit and to ensure your understanding. Some questions may be challenging, so be prepared and answer honestly. It is acceptable not to know an answer.
• Demonstrate professionalism in presenting. Exhibit professionalism by being punctual and having appropriate time management. Remember that mistakes happen; be kind to yourself and remain calm and collected. Be enthusiastic: If you can enjoy the experience, so will your audience. Finally, be open to feedback following your presentation. 

Additional resources

Below is a collection of resources that further address the elements of creating and delivering a formal presentation. Each resource addresses a specific presentation skill or set of skills listed above and can be used to develop your understanding further. 

• Healthy Presentations: How to Craft Exceptional Lectures in Medicine, the Health Professions, and the Biomedical Sciences (requires purchase, book). This illustrated book is a practical guide for improving scientific presentations. It includes specific, practical guidance on crafting a talk, tips on incorporating interactive elements to facilitate active learning, and before-and-after examples of improved slide design. (Skills addressed: 1-3)
• American College of Physicians: Giving the Podium Presentation (freely available, website). This guide includes recommendations related to presentation delivery, including tips on what to wear, how to prepare, answering questions, and anticipating the unexpected. (Skills addressed: 3-5)
• The 4 Ps of Giving a Good Presentation (freely available, PDF). This simple guide on public speaking from the University of Hull covers such topics as positive thinking, preparing, practice, and performing. (Skills addressed: 3-5)
• Zoom Guides (freely available, website). This website from the University of California, San Francisco is one of many great resources created by universities for presenting on a virtual platform, specifically Zoom. (Skills addressed: 3-5)
• Writing Learning Objectives (freely available, PDF). This excellent resource from the AAMC defines Bloom’s Taxonomy and provides verbiage for creating learning objectives. (Skill addressed: 1)
• Adult learning theories: Implications for learning and teaching in medical education: AMEE Guide No. 83 (freely available, article). This AMEE Guide explains and explores the more commonly used adult learning theories and how they can be used to enhance learning. It presents a model that combines many of the theories into a flow diagram that can be followed by those planning a presentation. (Skill addressed: 1)
• Assertion-Evidence Approach (freely available, website). This approach to slide design incorporates clear messaging and the strategic combination of text and images. (Skill addressed: 2)
• Multimedia Learning (requires purchase, book). This book outlines the learning theories that should guide all good slide design. It is an accessible resource that will help presenters of all levels create slide decks that best facilitate learning. (Skill addressed: 2)
• Collaborative Learning and Integrated Mentoring in the Biosciences (CLIMB) (freely available, website). This website from Northwestern University shares slide design tips for scientific presentations. Specific tips include simplifying messages and annotating images and tables to facilitate learning. (Skill addressed: 2)
• Clear and to the Point (freely available, online book). This book describes 8 psychological principles for constructing compelling PowerPoint presentations. (Skill addressed: 2)

Return to top ↑

Presenting the results of the research projects, innovations, and other work you have invested in at regional and national meetings is a tremendous opportunity to advance heath care, gain exposure to thought leaders in your field, and put your evidence-based medicine and communication skills into practice in a different arena. Effective scientific presentations at meetings also provide a chance for you to interact with an engaged audience, receive valuable feedback, be exposed to others’ projects, and expand your professional network. Preparation and practice are integral to getting the most out of these experiences.  

The strategies and resources below will help you successfully present both posters and abstracts at scientific meetings. 

Strategies for success  

• Identify a poster’s/abstract’s purpose and key points . Determine the purpose of sharing your work (feedback vs. sharing a new methodology vs. disseminating a novel finding) and tailor the information in your poster or abstract to meet that objective. Identify one to three key points. Keep in mind the knowledge and expertise of the intended audience; the amount of detail that you need to provide at a general vs. specialized meeting may vary. 
• Design an effective poster . Design your poster to follow a logical flow and keep it uncluttered. The methods and data should support your conclusions without extraneous information; every chart or image should serve a purpose. Explicitly outline the key takeaways at the beginning or end.  
• Present in a conversational, informal style . Imagine you are explaining your project to a colleague. The purpose of your work and key points should guide your presentation, and your explanation of the methods and data should link to your conclusions. Be prepared to discuss the limitations of your project, outline directions for future research, and receive feedback from your audience. Treat feedback as an opportunity to improve your project prior to producing a manuscript.  

Additional resources  

These resources support the development of the skills mentioned above, guiding you through the steps of developing a poster that frames your research in a clear and concise manner. The videos provide examples that can serve as models of effective poster and abstract presentations. 

• How to design an outstanding poster (freely available, article). This article outlines key items for laying out an effective poster, structuring it with the audience in mind, practicing your presentation, and maximizing your work’s impact at meetings. (Skills addressed: 1-3) 
• Giving an Effective Poster Presentation (freely available, video). This video shows medical students in action presenting their work and shares strategies for presenting your poster in a conversational style, preparing for questions, and engaging viewers. (Skills addressed: 2,3) 
• Better Scientific Poster (freely available, toolkit). This toolkit includes strategies and templates for creating an effective and visually interesting scientific poster. Virtual and social media templates are also available. (Skill addressed: 2)

As with all presentations, it can be very helpful to practice with colleagues and/or mentors before the meeting. This will allow you to get feedback on your project, style, and poster design prior to sharing it with others outside of your institution. It can also help you prepare for the questions you may get from the audience.  

Patient presentation skills are valuable for medical students in the classroom and in the care of patients during clinical rotations. Patient presentations are an integral part of medical training because they combine communication skills with knowledge of disease manifestations and therapeutic strategies in a clinical scenario. They are used during active learning in both the preclinical and clinical phases of education and as students advance in training and interact with diverse patients.  

Below are strategies for delivering effective patient presentations. 

• Structure the presentation appropriately . The structure of your narrative is important; a concise, logical presentation of the relevant information will create the most impact. In the clinical setting, preferences for presentation length and style can vary between specialties and attendings, so understanding expectations is vital. 
• Synthesize information from the patient encounter . Synthesis of information is integral for effective and accurate delivery that highlights relevant points. Being able to select pertinent information and present it in an efficient manner takes organization and practice, but it is a skill that can be learned.  
• Deliver an accurate, engaging, and fluent oral presentation . In delivering a patient presentation, time is of the essence. The overall format for the presentation is like a written note but usually more concise. Succinctly convey the most essential patient information in a way that tells the patient’s story. Engage your listeners by delivering your presentation in an organized, clear, and professional manner with good eye contact. Presentations will go more smoothly with careful crafting and practice. 
• Adjust presentations to meet team, patient, and setting needs . Adaptability is often required in the clinical setting depending on attending preferences, patient needs, and location, making it imperative that you are mindful of your audience.  

The resources below provide samples of different types of patient presentations and practical guides for structuring and delivering them. They include tips and tricks for framing a case discussion to deliver a compelling story. Resources that help with adjusting patient presentations based on the setting, such as bedside and outpatient presentations, are also included. 

• A Guide to Case Presentations (freely available, document). This practical guide from the Ohio State University discusses basic principles of presentations, differences between written and oral communication of patient information, organization, and common pitfalls to avoid. (Skills addressed: 1-3) 
• Verbal Case Presentations: A Practical Guide for Medical Students (freely available, PDFs). This resource from the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership provides a practical guide to crafting effective case presentations with an explanation of the goals of each section and additional tips for framing the oral discussion. It also provides a full sample initial history and physical examination presentation. (Skills addressed: 1-4) 
• Patient Presentations in Emergency Medicine (freely available, video). This training video for medical students from the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine demonstrates how to tell a compelling story when presenting a patient’s case. The brief video offers handy dos and don'ts that will help medical students understand how best to communicate in the emergency department efficiently and effectively. These skills can also be applied to patient presentations in other specialties. (Skills addressed: 1-4) 

Additional information and support on effectively constructing and delivering a case presentation can be found through various affinity support and mentorship groups, such as the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA), and Building the Next Generation of Academic Physicians (BNGAP). 

Leading Small Groups

For physicians, working within and leading small groups is an everyday practice. Undergraduate medical education often includes small group communication as well, in the form of problem-based learning groups, journal clubs, and study groups. Having the skills to form, maintain, and help small groups thrive is an important tool for medical students.   

Below are strategies to provide effective small group leadership. 

• Outline goals/outcomes . Delineating the goals of a meeting ensures that everyone understands the outcome of the gathering and can help keep conversations on track. Listing goals in the agenda will help all participants understand what is to be accomplished. 
• Establish ground rules . Establishing explicit procedural and behavioral expectations serves to solidify the framework in which the conversation will take place. These include items such as attendance and how people are recognized as well as the way group members should treat each other.   
• Create an inclusive environment . In addition to setting expectations, group leaders can take steps to help all participants feel that their perspectives are valuable. Setting up the room so that everyone sits around a table can facilitate conversations. Having individuals introduce themselves can let the group understand everyone’s background and expertise. In addition, running discussions in a “round-robin style” (when possible) may help every person have an opportunity to express themselves. 
• Keep discussions constructive, positive, and on task . As meetings evolve, it can be easy for conversations to drift. Reminding the group of goals and frequently summarizing the discussion in the context of the planned outcomes can help redirect meetings when needed. 
• Manage virtual meetings . Online meetings present their own challenges. Adequate preparation is key, particularly working through technological considerations in advance. Explicitly discussing goals and ground rules is even more important in the virtual environment. Group leaders should be more patient with members’ response times and be especially diligent that all participants have an opportunity to be heard.   

The resources listed below outline additional helpful points, expanding on the skills described above and providing additional perspectives on managing small group meetings of different types. 

• Communication in the Real World: Small Group Communication (freely available, online module). This chapter includes an overview of managing small groups, including understanding the types and characteristics, group development, and interpersonal dynamics. (Skills addressed: 3,4) 
• Conversational Leadership (freely available, online book chapter). This short online resource provides guidance for determining group size and seating to best facilitate participation by all group members. (Skill addressed: 4) 
• Tips on Facilitating Effective Group Discussion (freely available, PDF). This resource from Brown University provides tips for effective group facilitation, creating an environment conducive for discussions, keeping conversations positive, and managing common problems. Also included is a valuable list of references for further exploration. (Skills addressed: 1-4) 
• Facilitating Effective Discussions: Self-Checklist (freely available, online checklist). This checklist from Brown University provides an easy-to-use, practical framework for preparing for, performing, and reflecting on small group facilitation. (Skills addressed: 1-4) 
• Sample Guidelines for Classroom Discussion Agreements (freely available, PDF). These guidelines from Brown University give useful tips for managing classroom discussions, including when disagreements occur among group participants. (Skill addressed: 2) 
• Fostering and assessing equitable classroom participation (freely available, online article). This online resource from Brown University includes methods to maximize group members’ participation in discussions and to communicate expectations. Also included is a valuable list of references for further exploration. (Skill addressed: 3) 
• Facilitating small group learning in the health professions (freely available, online article). The aim of this paper published in BMC Medical Education is to provide students involved in peer/near peer teaching with an overview of practical approaches and tips to improve learner engagement when facilitating small groups. It includes a discussion of the roles of facilitators, strategies for fostering interactions among the group, and methods for resolving common problems. (Skills addressed: 1-4) 
• Facilitating a Virtual Meeting (freely available, PDF). This infographic from the University of Nebraska Medical Center includes key points to consider when facilitating an online meeting, including technical considerations, preparation, and follow-up. (Skill addressed: 5) 
• Most universities have a communication department with faculty who specialize in small group communication. You may also find that these individuals are a valuable resource. 

This toolkit was created by a working group of the Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) Section of the Group on Educational Affairs (GEA). 

Working Group Members

• Geoffrey Talmon, MD, University of Nebraska Medical Center
• Jason Kemnitz, EdD, University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine 
• Lisa Coplit, MD, Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University 
• Rikki Ovitsh, MD, SUNY Downstate College of Medicine
• Susan Nofziger, MD, Northeast Ohio Medical University  
• Amy Moore, MEd, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine 
• Melissa Cellini, MD, New York Medical College 
• Richard Haspel, MD, Harvard Medical School 
• Christine Phillips, MD, Boston University School of Medicine 
• Arvind Suresh, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth 
• Emily Green, PhD, MA, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University 
• Holly Meyer, PhD, MS, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences 
• Karina Clemmons, EdD, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
• Shane Puckett, EdD, University of South Florida 
• Angela Hairrell, PhD, Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University 
• Arkene Levy Johnston, PhD, Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
• Sarah Collins, PhD, UT Southwestern Medical Center 
• Patrick Fadden, MD, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine 
• Lia Bruner, MD, Augusta University - University of Georgia Medical Partnership 
• Jasna Vuk, MD, PhD, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences 
• Pearl Sutter, University of Connecticut School of Medicine 
• Kelly Park, Baylor University Medical Center

• Log In Username Enter your ACP Online username. Password Enter the password that accompanies your username. Remember me Forget your username or password ?
• Privacy Policy
• Career Connection
• Member Forums

© Copyright 2024 American College of Physicians, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 190 North Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106-1572 800-ACP-1915 (800-227-1915) or 215-351-2600

If you are unable to login, please try clearing your cookies . We apologize for the inconvenience.

Preparing a Poster Presentation

Posters are a legitimate and popular presentation format for research and clinical vignettes. They efficiently communicate concepts and data to an audience using a combination of visuals and text. Most scientific meeting planners take advantage of the popularity and communication efficiency of poster presentations by scheduling more poster than oral presentations. Poster presentations allow the author to meet and speak informally with interested viewers, facilitating a greater exchange of ideas and networking opportunities than with oral presentations. Poster presentations often are the first opportunities for young investigators to present their work at important scientific meetings and preparatory for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Poster Production Timeline

In order to be successful, certain prerequisites must be met. First, you must have a desire to be scholastically effective and be willing to put the time into the design and production of the poster. Second, you need organizational skills. Like any other endeavor associated with deadlines, you must be able to deliver the product on time. Posters are associated with more deadlines than oral presentations, due to the necessary interaction with graphic artists, graphic production, and the needs of the meeting itself. Organizational skills are also needed to create a concise and logically structured graphic and text presentation of the research or vignette. In order to help you achieve these goals, this article addresses poster planning, production, and presentation. It may be helpful to create a poster production timeline .

• Determine if your poster will be judged at the scientific meeting. If so, ask for the judging criteria , which will be immensely helpful for you to plan and construct the poster.
• Know the rules . It is your responsibility to know the physical requirements for the poster including acceptable size and how it will be displayed. A 4' × 4' display area cannot accommodate a 6' × 6' poster and a 3' × 3' poster will look insignificant in an 8' × 8' display area. All scientific programs that sponsor a poster session will send you information on the display requirements at the time your poster is accepted for presentation. Review and follow the instructions precisely. However, be warned that not all scientific programs will automatically tell you how the poster will be displayed. Some programs provide a cork/tack-board system that allows you to display your poster by fastening it to a solid display board with stickpins. This gives you the option of displaying your poster as many individual parts (components of the poster, such as abstract, methods, graphics, conclusion, are fastened individually to the display board) or as one piece. Other programs "hang" their posters from a frame by large spring clips. This means that the poster must be created as a single unit and cannot be too heavy for the clips or too light such that it will curl upwards like a window shade. A few programs still use easels to display posters, mandating that the poster be constructed of or placed on a firm backing that can be supported in this way. The point is, find out how the poster will be displayed and engineer a poster that best meets the requirements.
• Determine exactly how the poster will be produced. Will you hire a graphic artist for partial or complete production? Does your institution provide graphic services to your department? Will you need to do this yourself? If payment is required, who will pay for the production? Regardless of who is doing the work and how it will be financed, only you can determine the individual tasks and set the deadlines. Make sure your deadlines include sufficient time to revise the poster if you find mistakes or otherwise need to make changes prior to the scientific meeting. Finally, if you are working with a graphic artist, make your timetable after consultation with him/her so it is realistic and he/she understands your time constraints.
• Compile a list of components that will appear on the poster. There are common elements to all posters, whether they are research presentations or clinical vignettes. At the top center, the poster should display the title, authors, and institutional affiliations. Any necessary acknowledgments can also be placed here. Many scientific programs will insist that the abstract be included on the poster and will specify its location (i.e., upper right corner).

Scientific posters should follow the IMRAD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) .

• The Introduction presents the background and the purpose of the research. The background information typically consists of a statement summarizing the current knowledge in an area, what knowledge is missing, and how this research project addresses the knowledge gap. A hypothesis can be included in the Introduction.
• The Methods section should specifically address the following areas: research design, research setting, number of patients enrolled in the study, and how they were selected. The Methods section should also include a description of the intervention (if appropriate), a description of the outcome variables and how they were measured, and the method of statistical analysis.
• The Results section includes the quantitative data. This section usually begins with a description of the subjects in the study and a description of those who were not included because they failed to meet the inclusion criteria or dropped out. Include the frequencies of the most important outcome variables. Consider comparisons of the outcome variables between various subgroups within the study (treated vs. untreated, young vs. old, male vs. female, and so forth). Numerical results should include standard deviations or 95% confidence limits and the level of statistical significance should be indicated.
• Finally, in the Discussion section, state concisely what can be concluded from the study and its implications. Make sure that the conclusions are supported by the data presented in the Results and do not present unsubstantiated personal opinion.

Clinical vignette posters generally have three components: Introduction, Case Description, and Discussion. A short Introduction typically describes the context of the case and explains its relevance and importance. When describing the case, follow the basic rules of medical communication by describing in sequence the history, physical examination, investigative studies, and patient's progress and outcome. The main purpose of the discussion is to review why decisions were made and to extract the lesson from the case. Be wary of boasting that your case is the "first" to describe a particular phenomenon, since even the most thorough searches often fail to reveal all instances of similar cases. Keep in mind that the best research and clinical vignette posters are those that make a small number of points (even just one) clearly and succinctly.

As you review your content, make decisions on what can be displayed pictorially. Posters that are mainly text discourage others from visiting and reviewing your work. Make your presentation as visual as possible; not only does it make your poster more appealing, but information can be transmitted more efficiently with a picture, figure, or graph. For example, information on patient demographics could be represented as a pie chart, frequencies of outcomes as bar graphs, and comparisons of means and statistical significance as tables. Clinical vignettes offer an excellent opportunity to display clinical photographs that illustrate important points of pattern recognition.

Finally, find out if you are required to be present during the poster session. Most scientific meetings schedule a period of time for the author to stand by the poster during the session. This enables you to answer questions about your work and, in some situations, is part of the judging process. Find out if and when this is scheduled.

A Few Tips on Poster Appearance:

Avoid clutter.

Limit your poster presentation to a few main ideas. It's better to present a few of your findings well than present all of your findings poorly. Arrange your poster components to read from left to right and top to bottom. Emphasize important points on the poster with lines, frames or boxes, and arrows.

Keep the lettering simple.

Use no more than three different font sizes; the largest for the poster title, second-largest for section titles, and smallest for text. For all lettering, use both upper- and lowercase letters. Words composed of all uppercase letters are difficult to read. The smallest font should be large enough so it is easily read from a distance of 3 to 5 feet (usually, 24-point font).

Keep the colors simple.

Too much color can be distracting, while too little color can be boring and lifeless. Use color mainly to highlight important elements.

You will need to decide how your poster will be constructed. Your budget and available graphic art resources will most likely influence this decision. At one end of the spectrum, you can inexpensively produce a poster with a graphics software package (such as PowerPoint) and a color printer. Your output will be limited to individual components that measure 8" × 11" to 11" × 17". These components will probably need to be mounted on a stiff backing, such as poster board or foam core, to effectively display them. At the other, more expensive end of the spectrum, you can work with the graphic arts department at your institution. They can use sophisticated software programs, such as Quark, to design and create a poster. The electronic version of the poster can be sent by e-mail to a printing or service bureau. Service bureaus produce a variety of visual products including posters, slides, signs, and limited print editions of books. They can print any size poster with all its component parts as a single unit usually within 24 to 48 hours. The cost of this service is difficult to estimate because it is dependent on a number of variables including poster size, use of color, resolution of the print (dpi, or dots per inch), whether it is laminated, or backed with foam core. A moderately priced poster may cost from $500 to $600. The staff in your graphic arts department can help you pick the options that are within your budget.

At the time of production, it is your responsibility to review the first draft, or copy, of the poster. This is your best chance to correct errors and make changes to improve the accuracy and visual attractiveness of the poster. Use the Poster Checklist  to aid your review. In addition, have a colleague help you proofread. It's a good idea to have someone unfamiliar with the research or case help you because he or she will quickly identify areas that are confusing or ambiguous. It's a good idea to have someone who is expert in spelling and grammar review the poster as well. As mentioned previously, schedule the proofreading early enough in the process so that you have time to make any corrections or changes prior to the meeting.

As you prepare to travel to the scientific meeting, consider the following tips:

• Arrange for a proper carrying case for your poster. A worthy investment can prevent damage to your poster and your reputation.
• Don't check your poster as luggage. Carry the poster with you at all times. Better your clothes get lost than your poster.
• Come with some basic equipment. Although these items are typically provided at scientific meetings, you may not have quick access to them. Bring with you:
• Push pins, tacks, or stapler
• Know where and when to set up your poster. The room or area reserved for posters is usually noted in the meeting program. Arrive early to set up your poster. This will allow you to adapt to any surprises in the physical layout or unannounced changes in the method of displaying the poster. Additionally, it's easier to put up your poster when there are fewer people competing for space and equipment. Most scientific programs assign a unique identifying number to your poster that corresponds to location of the poster in the display area. Find out what your number is and place your poster in the corresponding spot.
• Know when to "stand-by" your poster. The time will be listed in the meeting program. Arrive on time and stay until the end of scheduled time. Don't wander off; you may miss the judges, your next fellowship director, or your next partner or employer.
• Know when to take your poster down. Meeting rooms turn-over fast. Have a clear understanding when the poster session is over and when the poster must come down. Failure to take the poster down at the appointed time can result in the hotel or convention staff (not so gently) removing it.
• Be prepared to promote yourself. Consider bringing handouts and business cards for those who visit your poster. Use this opportunity to "network" with other professionals who share similar academic interests.

This final section provides examples of what makes a poster effective. As you study the examples, note that they share similar characteristics:

• Organized and easy to follow the flow of information
• Easy to read, using large font size and are not overly dense with text
• Attractive, due to judicious use of colors, use of graphics, and arrangement

Listed below are a number of important poster characteristics and examples illustrating those characteristics:

• Use of a poignant attention getter
• Use of graphics  to communicate data
• Well organized  poster with easy to follow flow of information
• Overly dense  presentation of content

Home Blog Design How to Design a Winning Poster Presentation: Quick Guide with Examples & Templates

How to Design a Winning Poster Presentation: Quick Guide with Examples & Templates

How are research posters like High School science fair projects? Quite similar, in fact.

Both are visual representations of a research project shared with peers, colleagues and academic faculty. But there’s a big difference: it’s all in professionalism and attention to detail. You can be sure that the students that thrived in science fairs are now creating fantastic research posters, but what is that extra element most people miss when designing a poster presentation?

This guide will teach tips and tricks for creating poster presentations for conferences, symposia, and more. Learn in-depth poster structure and design techniques to help create academic posters that have a lasting impact.

Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

• What is a Research Poster?

Why are Poster Presentations important?

Overall dimensions and orientation, separation into columns and sections, scientific, academic, or something else, a handout with supplemental and contact information, cohesiveness, design and readability, storytelling.

• Font Characteristics
• Color Pairing
• Data Visualization Dimensions
• Alignment, Margins, and White Space

Scientific/Academic Conference Poster Presentation

Digital research poster presentations, slidemodel poster presentation templates, how to make a research poster presentation step-by-step, considerations for printing poster presentations, how to present a research poster presentation, final words, what is a research poster .

Research posters are visual overviews of the most relevant information extracted from a research paper or analysis.   They are essential communication formats for sharing findings with peers and interested people in the field. Research posters can also effectively present material for other areas besides the sciences and STEM—for example, business and law.

You’ll be creating research posters regularly as an academic researcher, scientist, or grad student. You’ll have to present them at numerous functions and events. For example:

• Conference presentations
• Informational events
• Community centers

The research poster presentation is a comprehensive way to share data, information, and research results. Before the pandemic, the majority of research events were in person. During lockdown and beyond, virtual conferences and summits became the norm. Many researchers now create poster presentations that work in printed and digital formats.

Let’s look at why it’s crucial to spend time creating poster presentations for your research projects, research, analysis, and study papers.

Research posters represent you and your sponsor’s research 

Research papers and accompanying poster presentations are potent tools for representation and communication in your field of study. Well-performing poster presentations help scientists, researchers, and analysts grow their careers through grants and sponsorships.

When presenting a poster presentation for a sponsored research project, you’re representing the company that sponsored you. Your professionalism, demeanor, and capacity for creating impactful poster presentations call attention to other interested sponsors, spreading your impact in the field.

Research posters demonstrate expertise and growth

Presenting research posters at conferences, summits, and graduate grading events shows your expertise and knowledge in your field of study. The way your poster presentation looks and delivers, plus your performance while presenting the work, is judged by your viewers regardless of whether it’s an officially judged panel.

Recurring visitors to research conferences and symposia will see you and your poster presentations evolve. Improve your impact by creating a great poster presentation every time by paying attention to detail in the poster design and in your oral presentation. Practice your public speaking skills alongside the design techniques for even more impact.

Poster presentations create and maintain collaborations

Every time you participate in a research poster conference, you create meaningful connections with people in your field, industry or community. Not only do research posters showcase information about current data in different areas, but they also bring people together with similar interests. Countless collaboration projects between different research teams started after discussing poster details during coffee breaks.

An effective research poster template deepens your peer’s understanding of a topic by highlighting research, data, and conclusions. This information can help other researchers and analysts with their work. As a research poster presenter, you’re given the opportunity for both teaching and learning while sharing ideas with peers and colleagues.

Anatomy of a Winning Poster Presentation

Do you want your research poster to perform well?  Following the standard layout and adding a few personal touches will help attendees know how to read your poster and get the most out of your information. 

The overall size of your research poster ultimately depends on the dimensions of the provided space at the conference or research poster gallery. The poster orientation can be horizontal or vertical, with horizontal being the most common.  In general, research posters measure 48 x 36 inches or are an A0 paper size.

A virtual poster can be the same proportions as the printed research poster, but you have more leeway regarding the dimensions. Virtual research posters should fit on a screen with no need to scroll, with 1080p resolution as a standard these days. A horizontal presentation size is ideal for that.

A research poster presentation has a standard layout of 2–5 columns with 2–3 sections each. Typical structures say to separate the content into four sections; 1. A horizontal header 2. Introduction column, 3. Research/Work/Data column, and 4. Conclusion column. Each unit includes topics that relate to your poster’s objective.  Here’s a generalized outline for a poster presentation:

• Condensed Abstract 
• Objectives/Purpose
• Methodology
• Recommendations
• Implications
• Acknowledgments
• Contact Information 

The overview content you include in the units depends on your poster presentations’ theme, topic, industry, or field of research. A scientific or academic poster will include sections like hypothesis, methodology, and materials. A marketing analysis poster will include performance metrics and competitor analysis results.

There’s no way a poster can hold all the information included in your research paper or analysis report. The poster is an overview that invites the audience to want to find out more. That’s where supplement material comes in. Create a printed PDF handout or card with a QR code (created using a QR code generator ). Send the audience to the best online location for reading or downloading the complete paper.

What Makes a Poster Presentation Good and Effective? 

For your poster presentation to be effective and well-received, it needs to cover all the bases and be inviting to find out more. Stick to the standard layout suggestions and give it a unique look and feel. We’ve put together some of the most critical research poster-creation tips in the list below. Your poster presentation will perform as long as you check all the boxes.

The information you choose to include in the sections of your poster presentation needs to be cohesive. Train your editing eye and do a few revisions before presenting. The best way to look at it is to think of The Big Picture. Don’t get stuck on the details; your attendees won’t always know the background behind your research topic or why it’s important.

Be cohesive in how you word the titles, the length of the sections, the highlighting of the most important data, and how your oral presentation complements the printed—or virtual—poster.

The most important characteristic of your poster presentation is its readability and clarity. You need a poster presentation with a balanced design that’s easy to read at a distance of 1.5 meters or 4 feet. The font size and spacing must be clear and neat. All the content must suggest a visual flow for the viewer to follow.

That said, you don’t need to be a designer to add something special to your poster presentation. Once you have the standard—and recognized—columns and sections, add your special touch. These can be anything from colorful boxes for the section titles to an interesting but subtle background, images that catch the eye, and charts that inspire a more extended look. 

Storytelling is a presenting technique involving writing techniques to make information flow. Firstly, storytelling helps give your poster presentation a great introduction and an impactful conclusion. 

Think of storytelling as the invitation to listen or read more, as the glue that connects sections, making them flow from one to another. Storytelling is using stories in the oral presentation, for example, what your lab partner said when you discovered something interesting. If it makes your audience smile and nod, you’ve hit the mark. Storytelling is like giving a research presentation a dose of your personality, and it can help turning your data into opening stories .

Design Tips For Creating an Effective Research Poster Presentation

The section above briefly mentioned how important design is to your poster presentation’s effectiveness. We’ll look deeper into what you need to know when designing a poster presentation.

1. Font Characteristics

The typeface and size you choose are of great importance. Not only does the text need to be readable from two meters away, but it also needs to look and sit well on the poster. Stay away from calligraphic script typefaces, novelty typefaces, or typefaces with uniquely shaped letters.

Stick to the classics like a sans serif Helvetica, Lato, Open Sans, or Verdana. Avoid serif typefaces as they can be difficult to read from far away. Here are some standard text sizes to have on hand.

• Title: 85 pt
• Authors: 65 pt
• Headings: 36 pt
• Body Text: 24 pt
• Captions: 18 pt

If you feel too prone to use serif typefaces, work with a font pairing tool that helps you find a suitable solution – and intend those serif fonts for heading sections only. As a rule, never use more than 3 different typefaces in your design. To make it more dynamic, you can work with the same font using light, bold, and italic weights to put emphasis on the required areas.

2. Color Pairing

Using colors in your poster presentation design is a great way to grab the viewer’s attention. A color’s purpose is to help the viewer follow the data flow in your presentation, not distract. Don’t let the color take more importance than the information on your poster.

Choose one main color for the title and headlines and a similar color for the data visualizations. If you want to use more than one color, don’t create too much contrast between them. Try different tonalities of the same color and keep things balanced visually. Your color palette should have at most one main color and two accent colors.

Black text over a white background is standard practice for printed poster presentations, but for virtual presentations, try a very light gray instead of white and a very dark gray instead of black. Additionally, use variations of light color backgrounds and dark color text. Make sure it’s easy to read from two meters away or on a screen, depending on the context. We recommend ditching full white or full black tone usage as it hurts eyesight in the long term due to its intense contrast difference with the light ambiance.

3. Data Visualization Dimensions

Just like the text, your charts, graphs, and data visualizations must be easy to read and understand. Generally, if a person is interested in your research and has already read some of the text from two meters away, they’ll come closer to look at the charts and graphs. 

Fit data visualizations inside columns or let them span over two columns. Remove any unnecessary borders, lines, or labels to make them easier to read at a glance. Use a flat design without shadows or 3D characteristics. The text in legends and captions should stay within the chart size and not overflow into the margins. Use a unified text size of 18px for all your data visualizations.

4. Alignment, Margins, and White Space

Finally, the last design tip for creating an impressive and memorable poster presentation is to be mindful of the layout’s alignment, margins, and white space. Create text boxes to help keep everything aligned. They allow you to resize, adapt, and align the content along a margin or grid.

Take advantage of the white space created by borders and margins between sections. Don’t crowd them with a busy background or unattractive color.

Calculate margins considering a print format. It is a good practice in case the poster presentation ends up becoming in physical format, as you won’t need to downscale your entire design (affecting text readability in the process) to preserve information.

There are different tools that you can use to make a poster presentation. Presenters who are familiar with Microsoft Office prefer to use PowerPoint. You can learn how to make a poster in PowerPoint here.

Poster Presentation Examples

Before you start creating a poster presentation, look at some examples of real research posters. Get inspired and get creative.

Research poster presentations printed and mounted on a board look like the one in the image below. The presenter stands to the side, ready to share the information with visitors as they walk up to the panels.

With more and more conferences staying virtual or hybrid, the digital poster presentation is here to stay. Take a look at examples from a poster session at the OHSU School of Medicine .

Use SlideModel templates to help you create a winning poster presentation with PowerPoint and Google Slides. These poster PPT templates will get you off on the right foot. Mix and match tables and data visualizations from other poster slide templates to create your ideal layout according to the standard guidelines.

If you need a quick method to create a presentation deck to talk about your research poster at conferences, check out our Slides AI presentation maker. A tool in which you add the topic, curate the outline, select a design, and let AI do the work for you.

1. One-pager Scientific Poster Template for PowerPoint

A PowerPoint template tailored to make your poster presentations an easy-to-craft process. Meet our One-Pager Scientific Poster Slide Template, entirely editable to your preferences and with ample room to accommodate graphs, data charts, and much more.

Use This Template

2. Eisenhower Matrix Slides Template for PowerPoint

An Eisenhower Matrix is a powerful tool to represent priorities, classifying work according to urgency and importance. Presenters can use this 2×2 matrix in poster presentations to expose the effort required for the research process, as it also helps to communicate strategy planning.

3. OSMG Framework PowerPoint Template

Finally, we recommend presenters check our OSMG Framework PowerPoint template, as it is an ideal tool for representing a business plan: its goals, strategies, and measures for success. Expose complex processes in a simplified manner by adding this template to your poster presentation.

Remember these three words when making your research poster presentation: develop, design, and present. These are the three main actions toward a successful poster presentation. 

The section below will take you on a step-by-step journey to create your next poster presentation.

Step 1: Define the purpose and audience of your poster presentation

Before making a poster presentation design, you’ll need to plan first. Here are some questions to answer at this point:

• Are they in your field? 
• Do they know about your research topic? 
• What can they get from your research?
• Will you print it?
• Is it for a virtual conference?

Step 2: Make an outline

With a clear purpose and strategy, it’s time to collect the most important information from your research paper, analysis, or documentation. Make a content dump and then select the most interesting information. Use the content to draft an outline.

Outlines help formulate the overall structure better than going straight into designing the poster. Mimic the standard poster structure in your outline using section headlines as separators. Go further and separate the content into the columns they’ll be placed in.

Step 3: Write the content

Write or rewrite the content for the sections in your poster presentation. Use the text in your research paper as a base, but summarize it to be more succinct in what you share. 

Don’t forget to write a catchy title that presents the problem and your findings in a clear way. Likewise, craft the headlines for the sections in a similar tone as the title, creating consistency in the message. Include subtle transitions between sections to help follow the flow of information in order.

Avoid copying/pasting entire sections of the research paper on which the poster is based. Opt for the storytelling approach, so the delivered message results are interesting for your audience. 

Step 4: Put it all together visually

This entire guide on how to design a research poster presentation is the perfect resource to help you with this step. Follow all the tips and guidelines and have an unforgettable poster presentation.

Moving on, here’s how to design a research poster presentation with PowerPoint Templates . Open a new project and size it to the standard 48 x 36 inches. Using the outline, map out the sections on the empty canvas. Add a text box for each title, headline, and body text. Piece by piece, add the content into their corresponding text box.

Transform the text information visually, make bullet points, and place the content in tables and timelines. Make your text visual to avoid chunky text blocks that no one will have time to read. Make sure all text sizes are coherent for all headings, body texts, image captions, etc. Double-check for spacing and text box formatting.

Next, add or create data visualizations, images, or diagrams. Align everything into columns and sections, making sure there’s no overflow. Add captions and legends to the visualizations, and check the color contrast with colleagues and friends. Ask for feedback and progress to the last step.

Step 5: Last touches

Time to check the final touches on your poster presentation design. Here’s a checklist to help finalize your research poster before sending it to printers or the virtual summit rep.

• Check the resolution of all visual elements in your poster design. Zoom to 100 or 200% to see if the images pixelate. Avoid this problem by using vector design elements and high-resolution images.
• Ensure that charts and graphs are easy to read and don’t look crowded.
• Analyze the visual hierarchy. Is there a visual flow through the title, introduction, data, and conclusion?
• Take a step back and check if it’s legible from a distance. Is there enough white space for the content to breathe?
• Does the design look inviting and interesting?

An often neglected topic arises when we need to print our designs for any exhibition purpose. Since A0 is a hard-to-manage format for most printers, these poster presentations result in heftier charges for the user. Instead, you can opt to work your design in two A1 sheets, which also becomes more manageable for transportation. Create seamless borders for the section on which the poster sheets should meet, or work with a white background.

Paper weight options should be over 200 gsm to avoid unwanted damage during the printing process due to heavy ink usage. If possible, laminate your print or stick it to photographic paper – this shall protect your work from spills.

Finally, always run a test print. Gray tints may not be printed as clearly as you see them on screen (this is due to the RGB to CMYK conversion process). Other differences can be appreciated when working with ink jet plotters vs. laser printers. Give yourself enough room to maneuver last-minute design changes.

Presenting a research poster is a big step in the poster presentation cycle. Your poster presentation might or might not be judged by faculty or peers. But knowing what judges look for will help you prepare for the design and oral presentation, regardless of whether you receive a grade for your work or if it’s business related. Likewise, the same principles apply when presenting at an in-person or virtual summit.

The opening statement

Part of presenting a research poster is welcoming the viewer to your small personal area in the sea of poster presentations. You’ll need an opening statement to pitch your research poster and get the viewers’ attention.

Draft a 2 to 3-sentence pitch that covers the most important points:

• What the research is
• Why was it conducted
• What the results say

From that opening statement, you’re ready to continue with the oral presentation for the benefit of your attendees.

The oral presentation

During the oral presentation, share the information on the poster while conversing with the interested public. Practice many times before the event. Structure the oral presentation as conversation points, and use the poster’s visual flow as support. Make eye contact with your audience as you speak, but don’t make them uncomfortable.

Pro Tip: In a conference or summit, if people show up to your poster area after you’ve started presenting it to another group, finish and then address the new visitors.

QA Sessions 

When you’ve finished the oral presentation, offer the audience a chance to ask questions. You can tell them before starting the presentation that you’ll be holding a QA session at the end. Doing so will prevent interruptions as you’re speaking.

If presenting to one or two people, be flexible and answer questions as you review all the sections on your poster.

Supplemental Material

If your audience is interested in learning more, you can offer another content type, further imprinting the information in their minds. Some ideas include; printed copies of your research paper, links to a website, a digital experience of your poster, a thesis PDF, or data spreadsheets.

Your audience will want to contact you for further conversations; include contact details in your supplemental material. If you don’t offer anything else, at least have business cards.

Even though conferences have changed, the research poster’s importance hasn’t diminished. Now, instead of simply creating a printed poster presentation, you can also make it for digital platforms. The final output will depend on the conference and its requirements.

This guide covered all the essential information you need to know for creating impactful poster presentations, from design, structure and layout tips to oral presentation techniques to engage your audience better . 

Before your next poster session, bookmark and review this guide to help you design a winning poster presentation every time. 

Like this article? Please share

Cool Presentation Ideas, Design, Design Inspiration Filed under Design

Related Articles

Filed under Google Slides Tutorials • April 23rd, 2024

How to Align Objects in Google Slides

Optimize your layouts by learning how to align objects in Google Slides presentations. Step-by-step guide with screenshots.

Filed under Design • January 11th, 2024

How to Use Figma for Presentations

The powerful UI/UX prototyping software can also help us to craft high-end presentation slides. Learn how to use Figma as a presentation software here!

Filed under Design • December 28th, 2023

Multimedia Presentation: Insights & Techniques to Maximize Engagement

Harnessing the power of multimedia presentation is vital for speakers nowadays. Join us to discover how you can utilize these strategies in your work.

Leave a Reply

How to Create a Research Poster

• Poster Basics
• Design Tips
• Logos & Images

What is a Research Poster?

Posters are widely used in the academic community, and most conferences include poster presentations in their program.  Research posters summarize information or research concisely and attractively to help publicize it and generate discussion. 

The poster is usually a mixture of a brief text mixed with tables, graphs, pictures, and other presentation formats. At a conference, the researcher stands by the poster display while other participants can come and view the presentation and interact with the author.

What Makes a Good Poster?

• Important information should be readable from about 10 feet away
• Title is short and draws interest
• Word count of about 300 to 800 words
• Text is clear and to the point
• Use of bullets, numbering, and headlines make it easy to read
• Effective use of graphics, color and fonts
• Consistent and clean layout
• Includes acknowledgments, your name and institutional affiliation

A Sample of a Well Designed Poster

View this poster example in a web browser .  

Image credit: Poster Session Tips by [email protected], via Penn State

Where do I begin?

Answer these three questions:.

• What is the most important/interesting/astounding finding from my research project?
• How can I visually share my research with conference attendees? Should I use charts, graphs, photos, images?
• What kind of information can I convey during my talk that will complement my poster?

What software can I use to make a poster?

A popular, easy-to-use option. It is part of Microsoft Office package and is available on the library computers in rooms LC337 and LC336. ( Advice for creating a poster with PowerPoint ).

Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign

Feature-rich professional software that is good for posters including lots of high-resolution images, but they are more complex and expensive.  NYU Faculty, Staff, and Students can access and download the Adobe Creative Suite .

Open Source Alternatives 

• OpenOffice is the free alternative to MS Office (Impress is its PowerPoint alternative).
• Inkscape and Gimp are alternatives to Adobe products.
• For charts and diagrams try Gliffy or Lovely Charts .
• A complete list of free graphics software .

A Sample of a Poorly Designed Poster

View this bad poster example in a browser.

Image Credit: Critique by Better Posters

• Next: Design Tips >>
• Last Updated: Jul 11, 2023 5:09 PM
• URL: https://guides.nyu.edu/posters

• Events Home
• Event Resources
• Become an Exhibitor
• SPIE Conferences App
• SPIE Event Policies
• SPIE Official Contractors
• Press Registration
• Events Calendar
• All Upcoming Events
• Conferences
• Exhibitions
• SPIE.Online
• Upcoming Webinars
• Recorded Webinars
• Featured Exhibitions
• Photonics West
• AR | VR | MR
• Advanced Lithography + Patterning
• Defense + Commercial Sensing
• Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation
• Optics + Photonics
• Sensors + Imaging
• For Authors + Volunteers
• Manuscript Guidelines and Policies
• Poster Presentation Guidelines
• Event Volunteer Guidelines
• Resources for Conference Chairs
• SPIE Program Coordinators Contacts
• Publications Home
• Publication Resources
• Terms of Use
• Reprint Permission
• Contact SPIE Publications
• SPIE Digital Library
• SPIE Bookstore
• Proceedings
• Apparel and Gifts
• SPIE Journals
• Institutional Subscriptions
• Individual Subscriptions
• Conference Proceedings
• Conference Content Publication Services
• SPIE Press Books
• Book Author Information
• Book Manuscript Guidelines
• Submit a Book Proposal
• Spotlights Call for Authors
• Field Guide Author Guidelines
• Membership Home
• Member Benefits
• Join or Renew
• SPIE Fellows
• List of all SPIE Fellows
• Nominate a Fellow
• SPIE Senior Members
• List of all Senior Members
• Nominate a Senior Member
• Student Membership
• Student Chapters
• Student Awards
• Student Resources
• SPIE Profiles
• Corporate Membership
• Corporate Member Benefits
• Corporate Member Directory
• Career + Courses Home
• Career Center
• Recruit Talent
• Career Center FAQs
• SPIE Job Fairs
• Career Resources
• Find a Course
• Courses at Conferences
• Online Courses
• Group Training
• Instructional Webinar Series
• Teach a Course for SPIE
• Technician Resources
• Photonics Technician Program
• Technician Training Programs
• Technician Scholarship
• OP-TEC Course Materials
• Community Support Home
• Equity, Diversity, + Inclusion
• Family Care Grants
• EDI Resources
• Women in Optics
• SPIE Society Awards
• Nominate a Colleague
• Research + Program Funding
• SPIE Endowment Matching Program
• SPIE-Franz Hillenkamp Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Berns-SPIE SPARK Grants
• IBM SPIE HBCU Faculty Accelerator Award
• Student Funding
• Scholarships
• Student Conference Support
• Industry Resources
• Global Industry Report
• Global Salary Report
• Global Partners + Industry Clusters
• Education Outreach Resources
• Outreach Grants
• Advocacy and Public Policy
• Chips for America Act
• Congressional Fellowship
• Policy Position Statements
• Visit and Contact US Congress
• International Day of Light
• IDL Photo Contest
• IDL Resources
• International Year of Light
• Community News
• SPIE Event News
• SPIE Publication News
• SPIE Press Releases
• Photonics Focus
• About SPIE Home
• About the Society
• Mission and Vision
• Officers and Directors
• Past Officers and Directors
• SPIE Brand and Logos
• Jobs at SPIE
• Code of Conduct
• Policies and Reporting
• Sign in
• My Schedule
• Explore SPIE websites:

Poster presentation instructions

Prepare your poster

Poster presenters will interact with conference participants in two ways:

• Attend and present a printed poster at the meeting (each poster presenter must bring a printed version of their poster)
• Upload a poster PDF for publication. Poster PDFs will be available for online viewing during the conference and will be published and archived with the manuscript after the meeting in the conference proceedings on the SPIE Digital Library.

Instructions on preparing your poster presentation and publishing your poster PDF are below.

Important dates

*Contact author or speaker must register prior to uploading **After this date slides must be uploaded onsite at Speaker Check-in

Step-by-step guide to a successful in-person poster presentation

Create and print your poster

The most successful posters are graphically rich presentations of your research that highlight and summarize the main points, with the poster presenter filling in the details in person at the session. The least effective poster format is an enlarged copy of your manuscript.

Your poster should include:

• The paper title and all authors at the top of the poster
• A brief introduction, goals, experimental detail, conclusions, and references; presented in a logical and clear sequence
• Explanations for each graph, picture, and table

Size, fonts, and color

• The maximum poster size is 44” x 44” (112cm x 112cm). View the SPIE Poster template
• Title: 36 point type
• List of authors: 25 point type
• Body copy should be double-spaced text: 15 point type
• Choose your colors to provide strong contrast and avoid pairing red and green elements to assist those with red-green color blindness

Print a high-resolution copy of your poster to present onsite (size must not exceed 44" x 44" [112 cm x 112 cm])

Create and submit your poster PDF

Poster presentations can be created in a number of software applications but must be exported to PDF format to submit for publication in the conference proceedings in the SPIE Digital Library. The PDF file size must be less than 100 MB. Avoid uploading multiple versions of your poster PDF. When you finish creating your PDF, check the following:

• Is your poster PDF saved with the .pdf file extension?
• Is your file size less than 100 MB?
• Do all your graphs, pictures, and tables include explanations?
• Is your text color and size easy to read on screen?
• Did you include references?

Submit your poster PDF

Your poster PDF must be received by the deadline, approximately 3 weeks before the meeting. After the submission system opens for presentations and manuscripts, using any web browser, visit https://spie.org/myaccount and sign into your account.

• From the account dashboard, look under "Submission and Review System" and click on the symposium link
• Scroll down until you find your paper
• Click on the upload poster file link to submit your poster PDF and follow the steps to upload your .pdf file

NOTE: The contact author or speaker must be registered before uploading. Only the contact author can submit the poster PDF. The contact author can assign a coauthor as the contact author via the submission system or by sending a request to [email protected] (include your paper number in the message).

Set up your poster in person

• Bring your high-resolution printed poster with you to the meeting (size must not exceed 44" x 44" [112 cm x 112 cm])
• Check the individual conference program to find your poster session location and timing
• Set up your printed poster at least one hour before your session start time on the day you are scheduled to present
• Paper numbers will be placed on the poster boards in numerical order
• Find your paper number and put up your printed poster in the designated space
• Push pins, tape, or Velcro will be provided to hang your poster

Present your poster in person

• Each poster presenter is responsible for printing their poster and bringing it to the meeting. SPIE does not print the posters
• Each poster must have a unique presenter; one person may not present more than one poster
• Poster presenters are required to stand by the poster during the scheduled duration of the poster session to answer questions from attendees
• Presenters who have not placed their poster(s) on their assigned board at least 60 minutes prior to the start of the poster session, and attend to it for the duration of the poster session, will be considered a "no show," and their manuscript and poster PDF will not be published in the proceedings on the SPIE Digital Library
• Presenters must remove their printed posters immediately after the poster session
• SPIE assumes no responsibility for the printed posters and will not save posters left hanging after the end of the session.

Publication of your poster

• SPIE will publish and archive all poster PDFs along with the manuscript in the conference proceedings in the SPIE Digital Library
• To qualify for publication, poster PDFs must be received by the advertised due dates, and the printed poster must be presented at the meeting
• SPIE retains rights to distribute and market the published poster PDF; the presenter retains copyright of all presented content

Contact your program coordinator (listed in your SPIE.org account )

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.

• Compare Products

Have a question? +1 604 877 0713 or Email Us at [email protected]

Your cart has an existing quote

Your shopping cart contains an active quote order and cannot be modified. To modify your shopping cart, please remove the current quote order before making changes to your cart. If you require changes to the quote, please contact your local sales representative.

• Sign In Email Address Password Sign In Forgot your password?

Register for an account to quickly and easily purchase products online and for one-click access to all educational content.

• 7 Tips for Preparing and Presenting a Winning Scientific Poster

7 Tips for Preparing a Winning Scientific Poster Presentation

Presenting a scientific poster is a great way to share your research at a conference, interact with fellow researchers, and get instant feedback on your work. It also serves as a valuable networking opportunity and allows you to forge relationships for future collaborations.

Although there are many benefits to scientific poster presentations, your first attempt at preparing and presenting one can feel daunting. Graduate students are often left to figure out how to do this all on their own, which can lead to posters filled with too much text and data, and presentations that are difficult to follow. Follow these tips to create better posters and maximize the benefits of presenting.

1. Think of your poster as a conversation starter

A scientific poster is not meant to be a comprehensive report of your research. The primary goal is to attract the attention of conference attendees so that you can begin a conversation. With that in mind, design your poster as a visual tool to help share your research. You can use this opportunity to get feedback and ideas, and to network with fellow conference attendees—perhaps you’ll even be able to find new collaborators for your research.

2. Know your audience

Before you begin drafting the content, it’s important to know your audience. Consider how proficient the audience is on your research topic. Are you going to a broad conference where the audience may be less familiar with your niche topic? If so, try to make your content more accessible by simplifying complex concepts or ideas. Are you going to a conference specific to your research niche? If so, you may not need as much background information.

Conference and Networking ToolKit

Browse our collection of downloadable tools to help you prepare for a conference, including a presentation checklist and quick tips for networking.

Access Now >

3. Know the story you’re trying to tell

A scientific poster is more than just a collection of information and data; the components should work together to create one cohesive and engaging story that leads viewers to your main conclusion. It also needs to be concise. You may find it helpful to write a short narrative of the story you’re trying to tell before creating your poster.

4. Create an outline and draft your content

The content of your poster should be easy to digest. Your audience doesn’t have much time to spend on each conference poster. Make it as easy as possible for them to quickly scan your poster and understand the story you’re trying to tell.

Include the following components:

• Authors list and affiliations
• Introduction, background, or rationale
• A brief overview of methods
• Results and discussion

Follow these tips to make your poster easier to digest:

• Write a catchy title containing relevant keywords to help the audience quickly recognize whether they’re interested in your poster.
• Keep your methods to a brief overview instead of including detailed protocols.
• Use 5 figures or less, choosing only the most interesting data that are critical to support your conclusion.
• Use diagrams to illustrate complex concepts.
• Be concise and only include the essential details required to grasp the whole story.
• Ensure that the content can be presented in 5 - 10 minutes at a comfortable, conversational pace.
• Use bullet points and short sentences and paragraphs.
• Choose simple words (e.g. “use” instead of “utilize”).
• Proofread, proofread, proofread. Then ask a friend to!

5. Use design best practices

Having a well-designed conference poster can help you attract an audience and share your research in a way that is easy for the audience to follow. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a graphic designer to create a well-laid-out poster. Regardless of the tool you choose (e.g. Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft PowerPoint), follow these simple design tips:

• Use a simple, light, neutral-coloured background that provides enough contrast with the text. Avoid busy and distracting backgrounds.
• Choose one bold accent color, and use it sparingly to help your poster stand out without being distracting.
• Stick to simple and easy-to-read fonts (e.g. Arial, Helvetica).
• Distinguish headings and subheadings from the rest of the text with different fonts or font sizes.
• Use large font sizes that can be read from a distance of one meter. Try to stay between 18 pt (for figure legends) and 85 pt (for the main title).
• For the body text, set the line spacing to a minimum of 1.25 and don’t make the text box too wide. This will help improve readability.
• Leave enough clear space in the borders, between sections, and between lines to make your poster more inviting and easy to digest.
• Use gridlines to help you align your sections, columns, text, and figures so they look neat and evenly distributed.
• Use your layout to create a flow that helps the audience move logically from one section to the next.

Prepare to network and present your poster

A poster session is an opportune time for networking and sharing your research, so you should make the most of it. This can mean updating your LinkedIn profile prior to the conference, coming prepared with business cards, and practicing your poster presentation prior.

Practice your poster presentation prior to the poster session, but avoid sounding like you're reading off a script. Ensure that you can tell your story through the figures on your poster in 5 - 10 minutes at a comfortable pace. You could also anticipate some questions that your audience may ask you and be prepared to answer those questions.

Remember, the first time you present your poster will be the most difficult. Treat it as a warm-up and do it with a trusted friend or colleague, if possible. You should get more comfortable as the session progresses and can adapt your presentation on the go according to what your audience is responding best to.

Seven Networking Tips for Scientists

With the help of a networking expert, we've compiled some best practices so you can start building your network with confidence.

Read Now >

Engage your audience

The best poster presenters are those who are able engage their audience by having a clear presentation, a positive body language, and a genuine conversation. Follow these tips to effectively present your scientific poster:

• Stand on one side of the poster and avoid blocking the audience from viewing your poster or the poster next to yours.
• Smile and make eye contact with the audience. Shake their hands and introduce yourself.
• Ask your audience if they would like you to present your poster to them. Some people prefer to just scan posters on their own.
• As you’re presenting, use your hands to point to the relevant parts of your poster. Look at your audience instead of staring at your own poster the entire time. It helps to position your feet towards the audience instead of towards your poster.
• Be yourself and let your genuine personality show through your presentation and interaction with the audience.
• If you see others waiting for you while you’re still talking to others, acknowledge them with a smile or nod so they know you see them.
• Ask if your audience has any questions. Answer their questions to the best of your ability, and don’t be afraid to admit if you don’t know the answer.
• If you don’t see others waiting for your poster, take the opportunity to network with your current audience or other poster presenters around you. Ask them about themselves and what they’re working on. This is also a great time to ask for feedback on your work.
• Look for opportunities to exchange contact information or arrange to connect another time for further discussions or to explore potential collaborations.
• Afraid of missing people while you’re not at your poster? Include your email address if you would like to be contacted by conference attendees who may be reading your poster while you’re not there.

Related Content

10 Tips for Attending Scientific Conferences

Plan ahead and be prepared for the next conference you attend to ensure you’re maximizing the benefits.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Presenters

Tips on how to present data to an audience, and feel comfortable doing so.

Efficient Tools and Technologies for Life Science Research

Accomplish more in less time and with less effort by making smarter choices for the tools you use in the lab, including cell isolation and cell culture technologies.

• Organize Lab Bench
• Manage Inventory
• Organize Notebooks
• Share Duties
• Choose Technologies
• Productivity Habits
• Staying Motivated
• Productive Commute
• Mentor Effectively
• Successful Journal Club
• Immunologists to Follow
• Attending Conferences
• Effective Presentations
• Networking Tips
• Habits to Break
• Optimizing Value
• Thriving in Research
• Information Overload
• Storing and Preserving Data
• Poster Presentations
• Efficient Technologies
• Return to Lab
• Managing Projects
• Reopening the Lab
• Lab Coats & Life™ Podcast
• Increase Your Productivity
• Get Organized
• Communicate Effectively
• Advance Your Career
• Move from Academia to Industry
• About STEMCELL
• Public Relations
• Subscribe for News
• Ways to Order
• Cookie Preferences
• Terms & Conditions
• Current Country/Region

We use essential cookies to make Venngage work. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Manage Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies collect certain information about how you’re using our website. Some of them are essential, and without them you wouldn’t be able to use Venngage. But others are optional, and you get to choose whether we use them or not.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are always on, as they’re essential for making Venngage work, and making it safe. Without these cookies, services you’ve asked for can’t be provided.

Show cookie providers

• Google Login

Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us provide enhanced functionality and personalisation, and remember your settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers.

Performance Cookies

These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. If you opt out of these cookies, we can’t get feedback to make Venngage better for you and all our users.

• Google Analytics

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set by our advertising partners to track your activity and show you relevant Venngage ads on other sites as you browse the internet.

• Google Tag Manager
• Infographics
• Daily Infographics
• Popular Templates
• Accessibility
• Graphic Design
• Graphs and Charts
• Data Visualization
• Human Resources
• Beginner Guides

Blog Graphic Design 15 Medical Poster Examples for Patient Education

15 Medical Poster Examples for Patient Education

Written by: Daleska Pedriquez May 23, 2023

Effective communication is the key to better understanding people, particularly in the healthcare industry.

This is why creating a poster is always a great idea.

Haven’t made a poster before? Improve your healthcare communications by using a poster template to ensure the safety of patients both in the hospital and at home.

What is a medical poster ?

A medical poster is an informative tool used to visually communicate complex information in a clear, concise manner. Medical posters can be designed for various needs, from patients to healthcare professionals.

In the next section, I’ll share some editable medical poster templates you can customize and display in hospitals, clinics, waiting rooms, and other public spaces. These templates cover various health topics and can be easily adapted to your specific needs.

Medical poster examples

• Mental health awareness poster examples
• Global health issues [pandemic] poster examples
• Healthy lifestyle poster examples
• Dental hygiene poster examples
• Meditation and yoga event poster examples

3 Mental health awareness poster examples

Mental health is an essential part of an individual’s overall health and well-being.

The general perception about mental health has significantly improved over the years, but mental illness stigma still remains.

We share poster design ideas and tips that will make it easier to break the stigma and reach patients.

End stigma mental health poster example

Stigma has adversely affected people seeking professional help for their mental health issues. It’s also led to a decline in resources used to treat mental illness.

This creative poster template shows how medical practitioners can end the stigma.

Keep the poster production timeline in mind when creating a campaign like this so that your rollout reaches the audience that most needs help.

Just so you know, some of our poster templates are free to use and some require a small monthly fee. Sign up is always free, as is access to Venngage’s online drag-and-drop editor.

Dark mental health poster example

Use a poster layout like the one above to share research findings on mental health and advocate to end the stigma around it, while giving patients adequate resources to search for the help they need.

When you want to promote a healthy lifestyle, use images of healthy food and people doing various activities, so patients can see themselves in the poster.

Look for the perfect photo to use among Venngage’s gallery of  free stock photos  or upload your own to add a more personalized touch.

Cartoon mental health event poster example

This is a simple event poster that is both calming and neutral. It catches the eye and makes people feel comfortable about signing up for the event.

You can improve the reach of your poster by posting it on your clinic walls or sharing it online. Other websites where your patients may search for help could also be a good place to distribute the poster.

Need help designing your poster? With Venngage for Business , you can access priority support any time of the day from our customer success team.

Related: Effective Patient Education Strategies and How Using Visuals Helps Change Patient Behavior

Design tips:

Colors can be used in many different ways, like providing therapy. Color therapy is an alternative medicine that uses colors as an aid for treating diseases and is even recognized as a treatment for mental illness. Before designing your poster relevant to mental health, learn which colors are appropriate and suited to your concept. Explore Venngage’s wide selection of ready-to-use  color palettes  or create your own.

3 Global health issues [pandemic] poster examples

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the world.

The challenge for healthcare workers hasn’t just been mitigating transmission and treating patients, but also influencing preventive efforts on a global scale.

Without an effective poster or infographics, people wouldn’t be well-informed about the virus and how to protect themselves against it.

COVID-19 healthcare study poster example

A poster like the one below could be shared to engage practitioners and patients in conversation about the pandemic.

Add more details to it such as research from a peer-reviewed journal or medical experts to make the poster and study session more impactful.

You can change the icon to reflect a variety of medical professionals. Double-click the icon you want to change and choose from our icon library.

Related: 5 Steps To Create a Healthcare Marketing Plan [+Templates]

Reopening guide poster example

The  World Health Organization  regularly uses posters and other graphics to spread awareness about COVID-19.

This simple poster uses icons and arrows to explain physical distancing and hygiene protocols.

This type of poster can be used in numerous places, including elevators, medical sites, and other websites that are sharing social distancing information.

Related: Vaccine Education: How to Responsibly Inform About COVID-19 Vaccination

Pandemic safety pet clinic poster example

This colorful template shows people exactly how to bring their pets to a vet during the pandemic.

Note the use of colors and icons to draw the eye and make the information easy to understand at a glance. Review the process before you create the poster so the details are correct.

Venngage’s library includes over 40,000 icons, including diverse people icons , that you can add to your poster.

When designing a poster presentation, it is important to be informative without losing your creativity. Find the perfect balance between being serious in imparting knowledge and being visually engaging by using icons and other illustrations.

3 Healthy lifestyle poster examples

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is synonymous with having a rejuvenated body and mind, and improved well-being.

It is the key to boosting an individual’s energy that ultimately leads to a better performance in their everyday life.

Cooking lesson poster example

When you live a healthy lifestyle, you feel better and more comfortable. This helps people live a happy and healthy life to its full extent.

But there’s also a lot of anxiety around food and cooking. That’s why this simple and elegant poster to promote a cooking lesson will help people feel more engaged.

Orange nutritional value flyer example

In the field of health, healthcare practitioners and professionals have a huge influence on people trying to adopt different eating habits.

Doctors, nurses, dieticians, and nutritionists can get their point across better with a bright flyer , like the one below.

Vegan lifestyle event poster example

Medical practitioners can recommend key lifestyle changes and provide essential ongoing support to patients.

Word of mouth and educational materials such as posters, flyers, and other infographics are great tools to bridge the gap between medical professionals and patients.

Nobody has the time and energy to read dull and boring posters. To spice up your design, include graphic elements such as photos, charts, and diagrams in your infographics and posters. Make sure to include only those that reinforce the idea you want to convey so you keep your readers’ attention focused on the real point.

3 Dental hygiene poster examples

A beautiful smile and a healthy mouth are undeniably two of the greatest assets that a person can have.

Our teeth play a huge part in our everyday activities such as chewing, digesting food, and talking.

The need to establish a good oral care routine is very important.

Dental education poster example

However, visits to the dentist can be challenging. The best way to circumvent this anxiety is to create a poster that shares the health benefits of a good dental routine.

To amplify awareness and knowledge about proper oral hygiene, posters could be utilized as educational material.

Dental medical pamphlet example

Educational posters have significantly improved the level of literacy of people about health-related matters, including dental health.

Dentists can use this research to advertise their services and attract a larger clientele using a poster like the one below.

Research has shown that healthcare personnel’s communication skills help patients better follow through with the medical recommendations provided.

Oral hygiene dental tips poster example

Relying solely on your body’s natural defenses, and daily brushing and flossing of teeth aren’t enough to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

This poster helps break down the various ways patients can keep their teeth healthy so they don’t need to visit the dentist too often.

Every element that is incorporated in a template’s design, even the font used for the brief text in your output, has an impact on the impression that a poster makes. Just like the templates above, you can play with the  font styles  and size to create a more impactful and engaging poster. Apply bold headings so as to break the content up into smaller sections. The Venngage editor has a plethora of font styles to choose from to make the poster uniquely your own.

3 Meditation and yoga event poster examples

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Relax and feel the fresh air as you immerse in mental clarity and calmness with the help of yoga and meditation.

Most of us have heard these words. But how do yoga practitioners share the importance of yoga with patients? A well-designed poster can help.

Yoga class poster example

Yoga, an ancient practice that brings mind and body together, is said to have numerous benefits for both an individual’s mental and physical health.

This class poster explains how yoga can improve skills and health. And it does so without cluttering up the visual.

Meditation corporate facts poster example

Yoga and meditation help decrease stress and relieve anxiety. They can also improve heart health, reduce chronic pain, and improve flexibility, balance, and breathing.

This poster shares research around corporate wellness and can be used to stress the need for more meditation in an employee’s life.

Colorful infographic poster example

As many novel diseases come to challenge the human race, threats brought about by poor habits impact people’s health.

Healthcare workers and HR teams can promote yoga and meditation as a way to reduce stress using this type of infographic poster.

Invoke the same calming feeling one gets from doing yoga with a template that’s relaxing to the eyes. Use an appropriate color scheme and photo set that relates to the yoga event. Add smaller photo insets to the template to accentuate the full-size photo for the poster background .

What are the benefits of medical posters?

Here’s an overview of the benefits of medical posters by category:

• Healthcare : In healthcare, medical posters drive effective patient-doctor communication and help promote preventative care and adherence to treatment.
• Patients : For patients, medical posters provide clear, accessible information about health conditions and treatments that help them to make informed decisions about their health.
• Medical professionals: Medical posters allow healthcare professionals to communicate information more effectively during consultations to ensure compliance.
• Communication: Overall, medical posters facilitate clear and effective dialogue between healthcare professionals and patients, enhancing understanding and engagement

Now that you have an idea of why medical posters are helpful, it’s time you start designing your own medical poster to educate patients.

Create a medical poster that educates patients about their health practices

Ensuring the safety of patients and equipping them with knowledge on proper healthcare are the top reasons for creating effective healthcare communication structures.

Healthcare facilities and organizations should have a medical poster for each of their primary areas of concern. This will guide patients and the general public toward a healthier life.

With a professionally designed poster template and infographics, medical professionals can create compelling and effective visual aids for all their communication needs.

Discover popular designs

Infographic maker

Brochure maker

White paper online

Newsletter creator

Flyer maker

Timeline maker

Letterhead maker

Mind map maker

Ebook maker

• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Residents & Fellows
• Give to SMHS

The Internal Medicine Current Residents

Poster presentation resources.

Poster presentations are widely used to communicate research findings. A good poster presentation can be an effective way to share the results of your research with your peers in a collegial and nonthreatening atmosphere. Feedback received during a poster session can be invaluable in refining your research and preparing for publication in a peer reviewed journal.

If your abstract has been selected for a poster presentation at a local, regional or national meeting, the research chief resident and program director can offer you guidance to create your poster and prepare for your presentation.  You should use our residency poster template for your color scheme and  GW logo  (you may change the size as you like), and you can use the  GW Biomedical Printing office  in Ross Hall to create your poster.  

Please see our  policy on conference reimbursement  for information.

• ACP abstract instructions
• SGIM scientific abstract instructions
• SGIM clinical vignette instructions  
• Residency Poster Template (you may change size/font, however color and logo should be consistent). Use a sans serif font and be sure to include images, tables or figures and plenty of blank space for easy readability.  

Preparing a Poster Presentation - ACP's Guidelines

Poster examples from gw, poster resources.

• The  GW SMHS Office of Communications & Marketing  offer a complete line of services to assist you with all of your graphic design and photography needs. Newsletters, brochures, posters, the perfect photo, and more! They do it all.
• Download the  Official GW Logos  to insert in your poster. Choose the format that best suits your software, download, copy and paste.
• Download your copy of  "The Face of GW: Graphics Standard Manual"  to learn about the approved ways to include GW's institutional brand in printed publications and media.
• The  GW Image Bank  features photos of GWU and Washington to feed your creative genius.

The following links will take you to banks of Powerpoint scientific poster templates located on other websites. Fill-in the contents, change the layout, fonts and colors according to your design, and submit for printing!. Overall there are over 50 different templates. Please notify the website administrator of any broken links.

• PosterSessions.com
• PosterPresentations.com
• MakeSigns.com
• PostersforResearch.com
• StudentsPosters.com
• Creating Effective Poster Presentations . By George Hess, Kathryn Tosney and Leon Liegel from North Carolina State University.
• Chapter 9: Posters . Briscoe, MH. Preparing Scientific Illustration, Second Edition. (pdf) Excellent resource on the nuts and bolts of preparing a poster, from planning to production.
• How to create a poster that graphically communicates your message . By George R. Hess and Leon H. Liegel. From the department of Biology at The University of Miami.

• - Google Chrome

Intended for healthcare professionals

• Access provided by Google Indexer
• My email alerts
• BMA member login
• Username * Password * Forgot your log in details? Need to activate BMA Member Log In Log in via OpenAthens Log in via your institution

Search form

• Advanced search
• Search responses
• Search blogs
• How to present patient...

How to present patient cases

• Related content
• Peer review
• Mary Ni Lochlainn , foundation year 2 doctor 1 ,
• Ibrahim Balogun , healthcare of older people/stroke medicine consultant 1
• 1 East Kent Foundation Trust, UK

A guide on how to structure a case presentation

This article contains...

-History of presenting problem

-Medical and surgical history

-Drugs, including allergies to drugs

-Family history

-Social history

-Review of systems

-Findings on examination, including vital signs and observations

-Differential diagnosis/impression

-Investigations

-Management

Presenting patient cases is a key part of everyday clinical practice. A well delivered presentation has the potential to facilitate patient care and improve efficiency on ward rounds, as well as a means of teaching and assessing clinical competence. 1

The purpose of a case presentation is to communicate your diagnostic reasoning to the listener, so that he or she has a clear picture of the patient’s condition and further management can be planned accordingly. 2 To give a high quality presentation you need to take a thorough history. Consultants make decisions about patient care based on information presented to them by junior members of the team, so the importance of accurately presenting your patient cannot be overemphasised.

As a medical student, you are likely to be asked to present in numerous settings. A formal case presentation may take place at a teaching session or even at a conference or scientific meeting. These presentations are usually thorough and have an accompanying PowerPoint presentation or poster. More often, case presentations take place on the wards or over the phone and tend to be brief, using only memory or short, handwritten notes as an aid.

Everyone has their own presenting style, and the context of the presentation will determine how much detail you need to put in. You should anticipate what information your senior colleagues will need to know about the patient’s history and the care he or she has received since admission, to enable them to make further management decisions. In this article, I use a fictitious case to show how you can structure case presentations, which can be adapted to different clinical and teaching settings (box 1).

Box 1: Structure for presenting patient cases

Presenting problem, history of presenting problem, medical and surgical history.

Drugs, including allergies to drugs

Family history

Social history, review of systems.

Findings on examination, including vital signs and observations

Differential diagnosis/impression

Investigations

Case: tom murphy.

You should start with a sentence that includes the patient’s name, sex (Mr/Ms), age, and presenting symptoms. In your presentation, you may want to include the patient’s main diagnosis if known—for example, “admitted with shortness of breath on a background of COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].” You should include any additional information that might give the presentation of symptoms further context, such as the patient’s profession, ethnic origin, recent travel, or chronic conditions.

“ Mr Tom Murphy is a 56 year old ex-smoker admitted with sudden onset central crushing chest pain that radiated down his left arm.”

In this section you should expand on the presenting problem. Use the SOCRATES mnemonic to help describe the pain (see box 2). If the patient has multiple problems, describe each in turn, covering one system at a time.

Box 2: SOCRATES—mnemonic for pain

Associations

Time course

Exacerbating/relieving factors

“ The pain started suddenly at 1 pm, when Mr Murphy was at his desk. The pain was dull in nature, and radiated down his left arm. He experienced shortness of breath and felt sweaty and clammy. His colleague phoned an ambulance. He rated the pain 9/10 in severity. In the ambulance he was given GTN [glyceryl trinitrate] spray under the tongue, which relieved the pain to 5/10. The pain lasted 30 minutes in total. No exacerbating factors were noted. Of note: Mr Murphy is an ex-smoker with a 20 pack year history”

Some patients have multiple comorbidities, and the most life threatening conditions should be mentioned first. They can also be categorised by organ system—for example, “has a long history of cardiovascular disease, having had a stroke, two TIAs [transient ischaemic attacks], and previous ACS [acute coronary syndrome].” For some conditions it can be worth stating whether a general practitioner or a specialist manages it, as this gives an indication of its severity.

In a surgical case, colleagues will be interested in exercise tolerance and any comorbidity that could affect the patient’s fitness for surgery and anaesthesia. If the patient has had any previous surgical procedures, mention whether there were any complications or reactions to anaesthesia.

“Mr Murphy has a history of type 2 diabetes, well controlled on metformin. He also has hypertension, managed with ramipril, and gout. Of note: he has no history of ischaemic heart disease (relevant negative) (see box 3).”

Box 3: Relevant negatives

Mention any relevant negatives that will help narrow down the differential diagnosis or could be important in the management of the patient, 3 such as any risk factors you know for the condition and any associations that you are aware of. For example, if the differential diagnosis includes a condition that you know can be hereditary, a relevant negative could be the lack of a family history. If the differential diagnosis includes cardiovascular disease, mention the cardiovascular risk factors such as body mass index, smoking, and high cholesterol.

Highlight any recent changes to the patient’s drugs because these could be a factor in the presenting problem. Mention any allergies to drugs or the patient’s non-compliance to a previously prescribed drug regimen.

To link the medical history and the drugs you might comment on them together, either here or in the medical history. “Mrs Walsh’s drugs include regular azathioprine for her rheumatoid arthritis.”Or, “His regular drugs are ramipril 5 mg once a day, metformin 1g three times a day, and allopurinol 200 mg once a day. He has no known drug allergies.”

If the family history is unrelated to the presenting problem, it is sufficient to say “no relevant family history noted.” For hereditary conditions more detail is needed.

“ Mr Murphy’s father experienced a fatal myocardial infarction aged 50.”

Social history should include the patient’s occupation; their smoking, alcohol, and illicit drug status; who they live with; their relationship status; and their sexual history, baseline mobility, and travel history. In an older patient, more detail is usually required, including whether or not they have carers, how often the carers help, and if they need to use walking aids.

“He works as an accountant and is an ex-smoker since five years ago with a 20 pack year history. He drinks about 14 units of alcohol a week. He denies any illicit drug use. He lives with his wife in a two storey house and is independent in all activities of daily living.”

Do not dwell on this section. If something comes up that is relevant to the presenting problem, it should be mentioned in the history of the presenting problem rather than here.

“Systems review showed long standing occasional lower back pain, responsive to paracetamol.”

Findings on examination

Initially, it can be useful to practise presenting the full examination to make sure you don’t leave anything out, but it is rare that you would need to present all the normal findings. Instead, focus on the most important main findings and any abnormalities.

“On examination the patient was comfortable at rest, heart sounds one and two were heard with no additional murmurs, heaves, or thrills. Jugular venous pressure was not raised. No peripheral oedema was noted and calves were soft and non-tender. Chest was clear on auscultation. Abdomen was soft and non-tender and normal bowel sounds were heard. GCS [Glasgow coma scale] was 15, pupils were equal and reactive to light [PEARL], cranial nerves 1-12 were intact, and he was moving all four limbs. Observations showed an early warning score of 1 for a tachycardia of 105 beats/ min. Blood pressure was 150/90 mm Hg, respiratory rate 18 breaths/min, saturations were 98% on room air, and he was apyrexial with a temperature of 36.8 ºC.”

Differential diagnoses

Mentioning one or two of the most likely diagnoses is sufficient. A useful phrase you can use is, “I would like to rule out,” especially when you suspect a more serious cause is in the differential diagnosis. “History and examination were in keeping with diverticular disease; however, I would like to rule out colorectal cancer in this patient.”

Remember common things are common, so try not to mention rare conditions first. Sometimes it is acceptable to report investigations you would do first, and then base your differential diagnosis on what the history and investigation findings tell you.

“My impression is acute coronary syndrome. The differential diagnosis includes other cardiovascular causes such as acute pericarditis, myocarditis, aortic stenosis, aortic dissection, and pulmonary embolism. Possible respiratory causes include pneumonia or pneumothorax. Gastrointestinal causes include oesophageal spasm, oesophagitis, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, gastritis, cholecystitis, and acute pancreatitis. I would also consider a musculoskeletal cause for the pain.”

This section can include a summary of the investigations already performed and further investigations that you would like to request. “On the basis of these differentials, I would like to carry out the following investigations: 12 lead electrocardiography and blood tests, including full blood count, urea and electrolytes, clotting screen, troponin levels, lipid profile, and glycated haemoglobin levels. I would also book a chest radiograph and check the patient’s point of care blood glucose level.”

You should consider recommending investigations in a structured way, prioritising them by how long they take to perform and how easy it is to get them done and how long it takes for the results to come back. Put the quickest and easiest first: so bedside tests, electrocardiography, followed by blood tests, plain radiology, then special tests. You should always be able to explain why you would like to request a test. Mention the patient’s baseline test values if they are available, especially if the patient has a chronic condition—for example, give the patient’s creatinine levels if he or she has chronic kidney disease This shows the change over time and indicates the severity of the patient’s current condition.

“To further investigate these differentials, 12 lead electrocardiography was carried out, which showed ST segment depression in the anterior leads. Results of laboratory tests showed an initial troponin level of 85 µg/L, which increased to 1250 µg/L when repeated at six hours. Blood test results showed raised total cholesterol at 7.6 mmol /L and nil else. A chest radiograph showed clear lung fields. Blood glucose level was 6.3 mmol/L; a glycated haemoglobin test result is pending.”

Dependent on the case, you may need to describe the management plan so far or what further management you would recommend.“My management plan for this patient includes ACS [acute coronary syndrome] protocol, echocardiography, cardiology review, and treatment with high dose statins. If you are unsure what the management should be, you should say that you would discuss further with senior colleagues and the patient. At this point, check to see if there is a treatment escalation plan or a “do not attempt to resuscitate” order in place.

“Mr Murphy was given ACS protocol in the emergency department. An echocardiogram has been requested and he has been discussed with cardiology, who are going to come and see him. He has also been started on atorvastatin 80 mg nightly. Mr Murphy and his family are happy with this plan.”

The summary can be a concise recap of what you have presented beforehand or it can sometimes form a standalone presentation. Pick out salient points, such as positive findings—but also draw conclusions from what you highlight. Finish with a brief synopsis of the current situation (“currently pain free”) and next step (“awaiting cardiology review”). Do not trail off at the end, and state the diagnosis if you are confident you know what it is. If you are not sure what the diagnosis is then communicate this uncertainty and do not pretend to be more confident than you are. When possible, you should include the patient’s thoughts about the diagnosis, how they are feeling generally, and if they are happy with the management plan.

“In summary, Mr Murphy is a 56 year old man admitted with central crushing chest pain, radiating down his left arm, of 30 minutes’ duration. His cardiac risk factors include 20 pack year smoking history, positive family history, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. Examination was normal other than tachycardia. However, 12 lead electrocardiography showed ST segment depression in the anterior leads and troponin rise from 85 to 250 µg/L. Acute coronary syndrome protocol was initiated and a diagnosis of NSTEMI [non-ST elevation myocardial infarction] was made. Mr Murphy is currently pain free and awaiting cardiology review.”

Originally published as: Student BMJ 2017;25:i4406

Competing interests: None declared.

Provenance and peer review: Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed

• ↵ Green EH, Durning SJ, DeCherrie L, Fagan MJ, Sharpe B, Hershman W. Expectations for oral case presentations for clinical clerks: opinions of internal medicine clerkship directors. J Gen Intern Med 2009 ; 24 : 370 - 3 . doi:10.1007/s11606-008-0900-x   pmid:19139965 . OpenUrl CrossRef PubMed Web of Science
• ↵ Olaitan A, Okunade O, Corne J. How to present clinical cases. Student BMJ 2010;18:c1539.
• ↵ Gaillard F. The secret art of relevant negatives, Radiopedia 2016; http://radiopaedia.org/blog/the-secret-art-of-relevant-negatives .

How TUNCOM Improved First-Year Student Utilization of Practice Questions With COMBANK, Powered by TrueLearn

A 20-fold increase in the number of questions taken was made possible through a unique feature in combank.

After the COMLEX-USA ® shifted to a pass/fail reporting format, osteopathic medical schools nationwide have been striving to ensure students are adequately prepared for the exam as many schools observed that students were spending less time preparing for Level 1—this was reflected in the overall decline in first-time pass rates following the shift. This certainly gave cause for concern, especially as Level 1 performance is known to correlate with Level 2 performance, and with the Level 2 exam remaining a 3-digit score outcome, it was expected to become a more critical outcome for determining residency application and match success.

The Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUNCOM) was no exception to these challenges—and they found an innovative approach to be the ideal solution. 

Increasing student engagement and success with COMBANK

TUNCOM was already leveraging COMBANK, powered by TrueLearn, to augment their students’ learning and support exam prep. 

Having seen the impact that COMBANK usage had on previous cohorts, TUNCOM focused on driving first-year student engagement with the question bank to facilitate early preparation and good study habits well in advance of students taking the COMLEX-USA ® Level 1 exam.

The school took it one step further: they utilized a unique functionality within COMBANK that allowed second-year students to tag questions aligning with the first-year curriculum. This not only made it easy for first-year students to identify questions that were relevant to their courses and incorporate them into their study regimes but also enabled faculty to customize quizzes based on the tags.

In doing so, TUNCOM maximized the value and efficacy of the school’s COMBANK utilization and was able to create opportunities for second-year students to participate in scholarly activities, an important criteria that helps optimize residency application outcomes.

The results were remarkable.

TUNCOM students’ poster presentation at AACOM

TUNCOM students’ poster presentation at AACOM The 2027 cohort utilized the tagged questions and showed a 54% increase in student participation compared to first-year medical students from the previous year. Collectively, the number of questions taken went up by 20-fold! Within the first half year of the current academic year alone, the cohort had completed over 18,000 questions.

This means that TUNCOM students were regularly integrating practice retrieval and spaced repetition into their studies, both proven learning science strategies that help strengthen concept mastery and long-term knowledge retention. By empowering students to actively shape the utilization of the resource, they not only encouraged them to participate in self-directed learning but also paved the way for them to showcase their academic involvement and participate in research.

Their scholarly work didn’t go unnoticed; it was accepted for presentation at the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) Educating Leaders ’24 Annual Conference in April 2024.

View TUNCOM students’ poster presentation at the AACOM 2024

TUNCOM students presented their work during a Learning, Curriculum, and Assessment poster session at AACOM, where they discussed their research and fielded questions from attendees.

The school’s success is a testament to the efficacy of its innovative approach and TrueLearn’s unique functionality, demonstrating the importance of lifelong learning habits as drivers of excellence in osteopathic medical education and for optimizing board exam outcomes. 

Want to see how your osteopathic medical school can drive similar results with COMBANK, powered by TrueLearn?

Related content.

The Powerful Effects of Quizzing on Medical School Learning ...

Osteopathic Medical School Survey Reveals COMLEX-Related Cha...

Building a “Lecture-Less” Spiral Curriculum: OCOM's Uniq...

Subscribe to TrueLearn's Newsletter