One thing that I have observed about research conferences is that the networking is often just as important, if not more important than the content of the research being presented. The purpose of this networking is typically to meet people conducting similar research at different institutions or different specialties for the sake of future collaboration.
You may be thinking, what use is networking to an undergraduate? The research I’m doing is for a temporary position, so I don’t need to network, right? Wrong. If you’re an undergraduate temporarily doing research in a specific field, you will have different goals for networking at an academic conference.
Goals:
Learn about the nature of an academic conference
What is an academic conference? And what is its purpose? These are the questions you should definitely be able to answer after attending one. See what kind of research is presented and who is presenting it. See how others network and how they interact. Find out what makes people attend and what their purpose is.
Learn how to present research
A word of caution: NOT ALL OF THESE EXAMPLES ARE GOOD. The projects represented are those that had ABSTRACTS accepted. You will most likely see negative examples of how to present (which is just as helpful!). To figure out what the good examples are, look for posters or presentations given awards such as "Grand Rounds". These are definitely good examples that can help you out with your own work.
Who to talk to:
Residents and Medical Students
Let's be honest, it may feel cool to talk to the older, wiser attendings at these conferences, but who is actually going to remember you when you need connections in the medical field? Residents and Medical students are closer to your age, understand your current stage in life and are probably more likely to remember you. Even more importantly, they're more likely to be attendings when you become a doctor and could use these connections.
Other Undergraduates
At first you may not want to talk to other undergraduates because you may not see the networking value. I think undergraduates are actually the most valuable networking relationships you can form at a research conference. They are also trying to get into med school, and are going to move into residency and beyond at about the same time you do. These are people that you can talk to at future conferences or keep connections with as you both continue your journey to become a physician.
How to do it:
Talk to Poster Presenters
Poster presenters are great to talk to because they are usually pleased that you have an interest in their work or are also there for networking.
Starting that networking conversation might be intimidating, but it doesn't have to be awkward. Talking to poster presenters is a great way to corner start a conversation with someone. Possible conversation starters could be, "I also used (insert database; lab animal; or patient cohort you have in common)", or "Why do you suspect you came to these results", or even as easy as "What did you do?"
What other tips do you have for navigating research conferences? Comment below!
