 |
| From left, Benjamin Loftis, Mary Faragalla, Kelly Blacksher, Aimee Knott, Christian Cooper, Megan Rasmussen, and Charles Ogles presented oral and poster presentations at the conference. |
Seven second- and third-year medical students from the Whiddon College of Medicine presented research and interesting cases at the Southern Medical Association Physicians-in-Training Leadership Conference, held Feb. 7-9 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The conference provides opportunities for medical students and residents to present their research through abstract competitions for cash awards, participate in hands-on workshops and interactive activities designed for interprofessional learning, and network with colleagues from other medical schools and residency programs.
Benjamin Loftis, a third-year medical student, serves on the conference committee and was instrumental in getting fellow students involved. He took second place for his oral presentation and won $1,000. Oral presentations were followed by a Q&A session, allowing for valuable discussion and engagement.
“I believe this conference is one of the best opportunities for students to refine their presentation skills and build meaningful connections with peers from other institutions,” Loftis said. “USA had a strong presence, with many students presenting their work.”
Third-year medical student Aimee Knott took second place for her poster presentation and also won $1,000. Her poster detailed a pediatric case about a rare genetic abnormality, a 6p chromosomal duplication. She discussed some of the barriers to diagnosis and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in the coordination of complex care.
“It was a case that was easy to get excited about, though it was my first conference presentation, and I have more than a little public speaking anxiety,” Knott said. “But this conference turned out to be the best place for me to work on it, as I was surrounded by support from current friends, new friends, and really wonderful people who helped build my confidence. It was an awesome experience, and I really look forward to future conferences and opportunities to meet new people and grow as a physician alongside my peers.”
Students presented the following presentations:
- Kelly Blacksher – “Unspoken pain: Navigating self-injurious behavior in a non-verbal patient with MELAS”
- Christian Cooper – “Assessing patient ability to accurately determine costs of spine surgery and imaging: An evaluation of the 2021 Hospital Price Transparency Final Rule in Alabama”
- Mary Fargalla – “Improving diabetes screening rate at MCHD Family Health Semmes Clinic”
- Aimee Knott – “A case report of an emerging phenotype associated with 6p chromosomal duplication”
- Benjamin Loftis – “A rare presentation of epiphyseal stippling in a neonate with a likely pathogenic CASR mutation”
- Charles Ogles – “Assessing price transparency features of Alabama hospitals: A cross-sectional policy evaluation”
- Megan Rasmussen – “The effect of cadmium exposure on microsatellite instability (MSI) and gene expression in HEK293 cells”
Mary Faragalla, a third-year medical student, said, “My key takeaway from the experience was recognizing the value of research by exploring diverse projects and their unique focuses, engaging with students from other institutions, and taking pride in representing USA at the conference.”
Third-year medical student Kelly Blacksher reflected, “I got the opportunity to present my research, better my public speaking skills, and ultimately have a blast cheering on my classmates.”
