Southeastern Medical Scientist Symposium

University Of Alabama At Birmingham, Birmingham AL

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Enter the text here that is the new abstract information for your application. This section must be no longer than 30 lines of text. The Southeastern Medical Scientist Symposium (SEMSS) was established in 2010 by students from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Emory University, and Vanderbilt University Medical Scientist Training Programs (MSTPs). The three programs have co-hosted the symposium with the location rotating among Birmingham, Atlanta, and Nashville. The objectives of this student-organized symposium are to encourage a collaborative and interdisciplinary educational environment and to foster connections between the MD/PhD students at multiple institutions across the Southeast and beyond, exposing students to trends, challenges, and opportunities inherent in careers of academic physicians. Future SEMSS meetings will continue to rotate locations between Birmingham, Atlanta, and Nashville. The program of each SEMSS will continue a highly effective format, including keynote speaker presentations, multiple topic-specific breakout sessions, student research oral and poster sessions, and social events. The breakout sessions are divided into sessions of interest to undergraduates, medical students, and MD/PhD students. The target audience for the SEMSS is MD/PhD students, residents/fellows, MD students, and undergraduate students who have an interest in future careers as physician-scientists. Another important purpose of this symposium is to expose undergraduate students to physician-scientist trainees and faculty in order to foster excitement about careers in academic medicine and increase the pipeline of future physician-scientists. Part of the funds will be used to provide travel awards to undergraduate students who apply to present a scientific abstract. The goal of travel awards is to increase undergraduate student attendance to the symposium in order for them to learn about physician and scientist career pathways. Greater than 60% of students who have previously been awarded a travel award are currently in graduate training programs, with 19% in MD/PhD programs and another 20% in medical schools currently. This successful outcome of travel awardees emphasizes the impact and continued need of the SEMSS. Additionally, with COVID-19 pandemic drastically limiting exposure of undergraduates to physician scientist careers and limiting opportunities of MD/PhD students to present their research and network with other physician scientists, future in-person SEMSS meetings are critical to providing a venue for the continued development of future physician-scientists.