On Authorship
Jessica Campbell MD MA
It is important to set expectations and tasks early on and to actively engage co-authors. In general, the first and senior author do the bulk of the writing. However, it takes a village to create excellent academic works and co-authors should assist in any way they can.
Dr Stephen Kosslyn, a Harvard psychologist has designed a points based criteria for authorship should disputes arise.
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic562342.files/authorship_criteria_Nov02.pdf
In general, follow the suggestions below and contact the chief resident with questions.
First Author- Must be a medical student or resident. This role is considered a significant achievement and is highly valued in residency and fellowship applications.
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"Owns" the project
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Takes the lead on writing and revising of all publications
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Presents poster at conferences
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Primary communicator with Academic Allstars
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Collect all patient information and images while on wards
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Tips: be proactive, think big, use your senior and co-authors, just start writing!
Co Authors- Collaboration is encouraged and can include anyone (consultants, PCPs, midlevels, shared teams, Academic Allstar) who contributed significantly to the care of the patient and/or the development of the case.
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Collect images
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Obtain consent from patient (if pt can be identified from images)
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Contribute to writing (make a table, write a section)
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Edit
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Arrange for poster printing
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Pick up posters and hang at conference
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Present poster if first author unable to
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Volunteer to complete any tasks that arise
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Go to conferences to support team
Senior author- Provides mentorship and oversight for all academic works related to case. The inpatient internal medicine attending mentors the trainee who first cares for the patient AND has an expressed intent to submit the case.
On Writing an Abstract
Gaby Frank, MD
Abstracts describe longer documents, and help readers decide to read an article, attend to a conference or approach a poster author. Should be SHORT, CONCISE and UNDERSTANDABLE and should awaken INTEREST in the reader.
Meeting abstracts (not linked to a publication) can be divided into Clinical Vignette abstracts and Research abstract.
Meeting abstracts (not linked to a publication) can be divided into Clinical Vignette abstracts and Research abstract.
Golden Rule for Abstracts:
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Identify a case report or decide to present your research.
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Choose a meeting and read the guidelines for abstract competition. Pay special attention to word or character count, submission deadline, ability to add figures or tables, membership requirement.
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Provide yourself with several days to write the abstract
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Ask for help early and make revisions upon feedback.
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Avoid the use of abbreviations and use formal language.
Clinical Vignette Abstract
First step: identify a case that is worthy writing up. In general, cases that will increase awareness of a condition, suggests a proper diagnostic strategy, are a rarity, represent an unusual presentation of a common condition, etc. Moreover, ask yourself if your case will deliver a message or a lesson? If your answer is yes, then it is worth presenting.
Second step: decide which conference will suit your case. Make sure you, or one of the co-authors, will be able to attend to the conference if your abstract gets selected.
Third step: read the guidelines, deadlines (see above) and assemble your team.
Forth-coming steps: write, revise, write, revise, write, revise and so on.
The following sections will compose most clinical vignette abstracts:
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Title and Author Information: The title should be short, descriptive and interesting; it should summarize the abstract and assure the reader that the topic is significant, pertinent and innovative. Subsequently, include the names of the authors, followed by their institutional affiliations.
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Introduction: Typically short, 2-3 lines, explains context and relevance of the case.
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Case Description: include a sequence of history, exam, relevant testing, progress and outcome. Avoid irrelevant details.
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Discussion: Purpose is to review why decisions were made and to extract the lesson from the case. Literature reports may be added to either support or contradict your finding
Research Abstract
Make sure you know the rules!
Steps are similar to clinical vignette abstracts, except that you don’t need to identify a case worth presenting, as you are displaying your research.
The following sections will compose most research abstracts:
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Title and Author Information: see above
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Introduction: It typically comprises several sentences outlining the question addressed by the research. Make sure the first sentence is as interesting and dramatic as possible. Final sentence should describe the purpose of the study (hypothesis)
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Methods: This is the most difficult section of the abstract to write. It must be short, and at the same time detailed enough to judge the validity of it. Must mention research design, setting, number of patients enrolled, selection criteria, description of intervention (if appropriate), outcome variables and statistical methods used.
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Results: Begin by mentioning a description of included and excluded subjects and the most important variable outcomes; some data could be presented as a table (if allowed by the rules). Include standard deviations, confidence intervals, level of statistical significance, etc
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Conclusion: Be concise and explain the implications of data presented. Conclusion must be supported by results already expressed. Do not present unsubstantiated personal opinions. Use research terms.
Ways to reduce word counts:
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Use plurals to eliminate articles when possible.
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Hyphenate whenever grammatically defensible
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Use abbreviations when allowed and defined at first use
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Use prefixes instead of qualifying words
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Avoid using empty word that contain no information
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Avoid using nominalizations; use the verb form instead
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Remove prepositional phrases with adjectives
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Avoid “circumlocutions”
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Replace phrases with single, more specific words that have the same meaning
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Use numerals and do not begin sentences with numbers because they must be spelled out in this position
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Prefer the active voice
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Do not space between mathematical operators and symbols or numerals
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Avoid multiple qualifications
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Put common elements first in a list to avoid repetition
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Use parallel constructions.
Sources:
On Making a Poster
Lilia Cervantes, MD
Why present a poster?
Apart from being a requirement for submission for the Rick Albert Prize and your chance to be showcased on the Denver Health Hospitalist website and walls, this is also a great way to network and obtain feedback about your case. Posters are a concise and fun way to share what you’ve learned with your colleagues and patients.
What is the goal?
Think of your poster as the most effective and simplest way to communicate your data. During a poster session, those walking by your poster will spend an average of 2-5 minutes reading your text and pictures. You want viewers to engage in your poster so that they leave with a lasting memory of your case and important teaching points.
Getting started:
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Choose a conference (link to conference schedules)
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Confirm poster sizes and requirements for submission.
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Create your poster at least 2 weeks prior to deadline to ensure sufficient time for feedback, editing, and printing.
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DH Hospitalists poster templates are (link to 3x6, link to 3x4). Make sure your poster contains the DH, UCD, and RAP logos on it.
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Examples of other posters can be found here (link to posters)
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Email eric.frans@dhha.org with a pdf of your powerpoint file 1 week prior to conference.
Simple tips:
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Create a catchy title
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Text should be legible for those standing 3 feet away.
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Simple color scheme. Do not distract with too many colors or fonts.
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Present key points using bullets. Save the lengthy explanation for your manuscript
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Use figures, charts, diagrams, and photographs to minimize text.
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Get feedback from your co-authors and mentors early
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Cut 30% of the words at final edit
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Use dropbox to send files between co-authors
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Finally! Don’t forget to purchase a carrying case for your poster and take pushpins.
To navigate powerpoint: http://www.tltc.ttu.edu/posters/How_to_Make_a_Poster_Using_PowerPoint.pdf
http://hms.harvard.edu/ec_res/nt/38689DFA-74C3-41B3-9D7B-3569ADAA1E58/poster_recipe.pdf
Additional websites:
http://www.acponline.org/residents_fellows/competitions/abstract/prepare/pos_pres.htm
http://www.eric.vcu.edu/home/scholarship/posters.html
On Mentorship
Mark Reid, MD
Mentorship has been defined as “a dynamic, reciprocal, relationship between an advanced career incumbent (the mentor) and a junior person (the protégé) aimed at fostering the development of the protégé.” (John Steiner) But this definition is too fancy. A simpler definition is “Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction” (John Crosby)
It is much easier to say your mentors are the people willing to help you. The reason that this relationship is so important is that navigating an academic career is complicated and can’t be learned from a book. You need a live person to share their experience, judgment and skill with you if you want to be successful. Many people end up with more then one mentor. It is not like a marriage with a license and a ring—neither so formal nor so exclusive. But it is an understood agreement with a long tradition that comes with both with rights and responsibilities.
In every aspect of your career a mentor can be invaluable:
Clinical. It is helpful to have experienced people to run cases by and to help you find alternative solutions when you are stuck. Often the greatest help a clinical mentor can give is in knowing who you can call for help. Your mentor can also help you navigate the emotional territory that is exposed when things go wrong. Lastly, if you mentor has been paying any attention, they have learned form many mistakes and can help you learn from them without having to repeat them. There is no shame in saying “I do not know what to do next” or “I think I did something wrong.” Invariably these situations are easier to fix today than tomorrow.
Professional. There are many aspects to the relationships you form in academic medicine that are unlike relationship you form outside of work. Every institution has habits and history that make some responses from physicians very effective and appreciated and others very non-productive. Your mentor can help you find the right way to ask questions and bring up concerns that will improve your chances of success and help you achieve your professional and personal goals. Hospitals and medical staffs operate like small towns. A misstep can taint your reputation for years. Getting help before making a decision or taking a public stand is always a good idea!
Research. It is likely that your medical school and residency did not train you how to write a manuscript. Despite this, it is an expectation of many academic physician jobs that you will write them. It is not very difficult. It is only very different from every other thing you have ever done in your life. There are many unwritten rules and traditions. Nobody could ever write a book on the subject as there are so many variables. You just need good guidance. This guidance can be procured from a more senior or experienced doctor by finding a mentor. Here is how that relationship looks from both sides:
To the mentor, mentorship promises:
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A possibility of a publication
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A possibility of a life-long relationships: both personal and professional
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Success in an academic area that the mentor might not discovered herself
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The possibility of learning something new and having fun
But also…
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Risk of failure
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A time commitment
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Sometimes, frustration
To the mentee, you will be well served and well received if you respect your mentor’s time commitments and compensate by exhibiting:
What you bring to the table is a good idea and a willingness to do the labor that your mentor does not have time for. This is the trade off. Every last thing that you can do (even if you have never done it before and you are not sure if you can do it) will be your responsibility—especially the more unpleasant aspects of the project. Your mentor will supply the one thing you cannot get from your own hard work, enthusiasm and persistence—experience. Be appreciative!
Mentorship is as old as the history of professional endeavors. The relationship always originates in work. While it may extend to the outside world in the form of a friendship, it can be very successful without ever going beyond the workplace or even the project at hand. Research has shown that people who can identify mentees have more academic success than those who do not. And for many people in academia, the relationships they form with their mentees are counted as they greatest rewards in their careers. If done properly, your relationship with your mentor will help you produce worthy research and develop life-long relationships with your mentors and eventually your own mentees.