medical topics for poster presentation

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

• - 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 make a...

How to make a scientific poster

• Related content
• Peer review
• Fiona Tasker , core medical trainee doctor
• 1 Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton BN2 5BE

Conference attendees will look at your poster only briefly, so a clear presentation is crucial

A scientific poster is an illustrated abstract of research that is displayed at meetings and conferences. A poster is a good way of presenting your information because it can reach a large audience, including people who might not be in your field. It is also a useful step towards publishing your research. Some conferences publish poster abstracts, which then count as publications in their own right.

A successful poster captures the viewer’s attention and communicates the key points clearly and succinctly. One author reviewed 142 posters at a national meeting and found that 33% were cluttered or sloppy, 22% had fonts that were too small to be easily read, and 38% had research objectives that could not be located in a one minute review. 1 Avoiding these mistakes is important to ensure your poster has a positive impact.

Where do I start?

If you have completed a project, you will need to research the right meeting or conference to submit your abstract to, if you have not done so already. You might need to ask your supervisor or consultants in the field of your topic for information about relevant conferences at which you can present your work.

You will usually be asked to submit an abstract online. The submission guidelines on the website should guide you on how to do this, as well as provide other valuable information such as formatting instructions and deadlines. Your abstract should state why your work is important, the specific objective or objectives, a brief but clear explanation of the methods, a summary of the main results, and the conclusions. I would not recommend adding the abstract to your poster unless this was stated in the conference guidelines because a poster is already a succinct description of your work; use it as an outline for your poster.

Follow submission guidelines carefully because they differ among meetings. Start putting your poster together early to avoid the stress of last minute printing queues.

Designing the poster

According to the 10-10 rule, attendees spend only 10 seconds scanning posters as they stroll by from a distance of 10 feet. 2 Your poster should be well laid out, with a visual representation preferable to large chunks of text. Diagrams, tables, and photographs aid readability and attract people. Guide the viewers’s eyes from one frame to another in a logical fashion from beginning to end. Set up this pattern via a columnar format, so the viewer reads vertically first, from top to bottom, moving across the columns from left to right. ⇓

An example of a poster. Using information from www.postersession.com

• Download figure
• Open in new tab
• Download powerpoint

Text and font

It’s important to make the writing in your poster clear and easily understandable—remember that readers won’t give it much time. Use plain language and write in the active voice (“We did this,” rather than, “This was done.”) Avoid jargon and acronyms. Use simple language and short sentences. Edit ruthlessly. If it’s not relevant to your message, remove it.

Avoid using uppercase text for more than one sentence because it becomes difficult to read. Keep text to a minimum. Whenever possible, use bulleted text rather than blocks of sentences and leave blank space around the text and throughout the poster.

Use sans serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica, or fonts such as Times or Times New Roman, which are generally considered to help legibility for posters. If you want a different look, consider Baskerville, Century Schoolbook, or Palatino. The font should be consistent throughout the poster and text should be legible 5 to 6 feet away. Use at least 85 point for the title, 56 point for the authors’ names, 36-44 point for subheadings, 24-34 point for text in the main body, and 18 point for captions.

Use colour to attract attention, organise, and emphasise, but don’t overdo it. Use a maximum of two or three colours and consider people who have problems differentiating colours. One of the most common forms of colour blindness is an inability to tell green from red. Black type on a white background is standard practice, and patterned backgrounds should be used with caution.

Microsoft Powerpoint is easy to use and most people have access to it. Lay your poster out on a single slide. There are several other programs that can be used to design a poster, such as QuarkXPress, 3 InDesign, 4 LaTeX, 5 and Scribus (a free download). 6 These programs allow control of text wrapping around images and text flow among associated text blocks. One piece of software specifically targets the scientific poster market: PosterGenius. 7

The title is most effective when it refers to its overall “take home message.” It should include the scope of the investigation, the study design, and the goal. In general the title should highlight your subject matter, but need not state all your conclusions. It should be about 10-12 words long and the font size should be large, 85 point. If things don’t fit, shorten the title; don’t reduce the typesize. And remember, titles that are in uppercase lettering are hard to read.

The author who was involved most is listed first and the most senior author is listed last. Some posters will have the addresses of the institution to which the authors are affiliated.

Break up your poster into sections, much like a scientific article. Label all the sections with titles: introduction, methods, results, conclusion, references, and acknowledgements.

Introduction

Write a few brief sentences to identify what is known about the topic, why you did the research, and the aim or aims of your work. This section can also include your hypotheses, which usually go at the end of the introduction.

Explain what you did. For a study involving people, you should explicitly state whether the study was retrospective or prospective, and whether there was randomisation. Your data analysis and statistics used should also be described, including what P value you chose to indicate significant differences.

Select the most important results that support your message. Images and graphs say more than words. Tables and figures should be used to illustrate your study’s results, and they should be clear, self explanatory, and uncomplicated. They should be numbered, and referred to by number in the text—for example, “see figure 1”). Make sure figures have a title and a legend. Keep text to a minimum. Graphs and charts should have an appropriate scale and labelled axes. Orient text for graphs horizontally, including labels for vertical axes.

Write short, clear statements explaining the main outcomes of the study and why your results are interesting or important. You can also suggest future directions for research that build on your current study.

References should be limited to five, and the font size should be smaller than the poster text. Check on the organisation’s website for formatting instructions.

Acknowledgements

Write up a short acknowledgement section to thank those who helped you to complete your research, such as your research group or funding source. You should disclose any conflicts of interests that might exist.

Practicalities

Find out if the library based at your hospital site has the facilities to print your poster. Alternatively, you could upload your poster onto an internet site that will print and deliver the poster to you. Some conferences print posters on site so that you can collect them when you arrive.

If you do upload your poster online, make sure you set the dimensions on the file to match those in the conference guidelines. If you are travelling with your poster, make sure it is packaged in a plastic tube to protect the paper from getting damaged. If you are travelling by air, you should inform the staff at the check-in desk that you have extra hand luggage so that you do not have any problems taking your poster onto the aircraft.

Presenting the poster

When someone stops to look, you should be able to introduce your poster in 10 seconds and that person should be able to assimilate all of the information and discuss it with you in 10 minutes. 2 Some conferences will allocate time for you to present your poster to a small group of colleagues who also have posters in the same category as you. Check the conference website for details.

Place a note on your poster board listing the times you will be available by the board for those who would like to discuss the poster outside the formal presentation time. Prepare mini sized poster handouts or handouts of the key points for participants to take away. Make it easy for a conference attendee to contact you afterwards. Have your contact details clearly displayed on your poster and handouts. Posters are a great way to gain feedback from your colleagues and for networking and collaborating, and this should support you in writing up your research for publication.

Websites with examples of scientific posters

http://phdposters.com/gallery.php

http://www.ncsu.edu/project/posters/NewSite/ExamplePosters.html

http://www.writing.engr.psu.edu/posters.html

Roper L. Attending professional conferences. Student BMJ 2012;20:e3962.

Originally published as: Student BMJ 2013;21:f297

Competing interests: None declared.

Provenance and peer review: Commissioned, not externally peer reviewed.

• ↵ Hess GR, Tosney KW, Liegel LH. Creating effective poster presentations: AMEE guide no. 40. Med Teach 2009 ; 31 : 319 -21. OpenUrl PubMed
• ↵ Boullata JI, Mancuso CE. A “how-to” guide in preparing abstracts and poster presentations. Nutr Clin Pract 2007 ; 22 : 641 -6. OpenUrl CrossRef PubMed Web of Science
• ↵ QuarkXPress. http://www.quark.com/ .
• ↵ InDesign. http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign.html .
• ↵ LaTeX. http://www.latex-project.org/ .
• ↵ Scribus. http://www.scribus.net/canvas/Scribus .
• ↵ PosterGenius. http://www.postergenius.com/cms/index.php .

How to Give an Excellent Medical Presentation

• By Sulaiman Ahmad
• July 22, 2019
• Medical Student , Pre-med
• Self-improvement

In medicine, we are constantly learning from each other. Professors stand in front of lecture halls to teach the fundamental knowledge needed to pass board exams and to treat our patients. Outside of the classroom, medical students, researchers, and physicians attend conferences to communicate ideas and update their colleagues with oral and poster presentations. In the clinic, students and resident physicians relay pertinent patient information to the physician in charge. Eventually, you will find yourself in front of an audience listening to your talk or an attending grading your clinical presentation. First, I will discuss what it takes to make an excellent presentation.  I will then finish this topic by providing guidelines for perfecting different types of presentations.

Critical Elements of an Excellent Presentation

 do some research.

Your audience will consider you an expert on the information you deliver. It is your job to achieve the expected level of comprehension of the topic. After choosing a topic, gather enough background information from diverse but appropriate sources (e.g., journals articles, relevant chapters in textbooks, personal discussion with subject matter experts, online videos).  Your research should provide you with a thorough understanding of the topic and a list of the important facts supporting your take-home message . Any gaps in your knowledge will become evident during your presentation. The goal is to develop confidence in your understanding of the topic and ability to share what you know.

Know Your Audience

Before putting your presentation together, take a moment to assess the baseline understanding of your expected audience . Ultimately your audience should walk away having learned something new. Try to figure out their collective interest, reasons for attending, and prior experience with the topic. Knowing your audience will allow you to focus on information that will keep them engaged and interested. For example, premed students have a different understanding of medical topics than medical students.  A presentation on the same subject should be different for both groups. If your listeners have different levels of expertise, take a moment to explain the fundamental concept, then build up the language and complexity to allow everyone to benefit from the information shared. Your audience is the reason why you are presenting.

Tell a Story

The human brain is wired to remember stories , especially if presented logically. A presentation is about the information shared, but it should also include the presenters’ passion, excitement, and personal style. All topics can be formatted to include characters, a description of the setting, plot, conflict, and a resolution. The story should allow the audience to take a journey with you. The hardest part is identifying the start and endpoint of your story and which details are needed. Make every word count by checking if it adds value to your narrative. Consider using metaphors, real examples, and descriptions that give life to your words .

Practicing your presentation is a vital step in developing an excellent presentation. You can memorize a script. However, memorization can reduce your connection with the audience. But in certain situations, scripts are quick and effective means of communicating important facts. Another approach is drafting bullet points of the main ideas and practicing the natural flow of information . This method allows your personality to shine on stage. To become comfortable speaking, start by practicing on your own . You can also record yourself with a cellphone or tablet and review the recording to evaluate your performance. Next, find a small group to present in front of and ask for their honest assessment . Eventually, your presentation will feel natural, and your stage presence will aid in communicating your main idea.

Q&A Session

Usually, your presentation does not end until after a question and answer session. Most presentations should include approximately five minutes in the end for the audience to ask questions . This part of the presentation allows you to clarify or further explain any part of your presentation. A question can also lead to expanding your presentation beyond what you originally planned to discuss . It is important for you to understand what is being asked and address the specific question directly. And if you do not have an answer, it is okay to admit that you do not know . Questions will force you to be creative and truly test your knowledge of the topic.

Different Types of Presentations

Presentations have many different forms, each with different goals; thus, each form requires a unique approach. In medicine, professors and clinician often provide students with lecture objectives and PowerPoint presentations that guide the students in their hour-long lecture. Conferences are a researcher’s platform to share their lab’s progress and conclusions. The last presentation I will go into is the clinical presentation a student typically performs for the physician in charge.

The main purpose of the lecture is to educate the attendees. We all have had great professors captivate our attention and other experiences that were a complete waste of time. But what makes some lectures better than others? The lecturer’s knowledge on the topic becomes obvious, and their stage presence confirms how comfortable they are with the topic.  If you are tasked with lecturing on a topic or a series, ensure that you have a solid understanding and address your learning objectives in the time allotted . The main concepts should be repeated multiple times throughout the lecture, followed by examples . Your PowerPoint slides should be limited to only main points and images that support your talking points. After difficult concepts are covered, ask questions to gauge your audience’s understanding . It is better to reemphasize a concept before building up to more complex learning objectives.

Research Presentation

Attending a conference is exciting, especially if you are representing your lab with an oral presentation.  It is an opportunity to share your research story, from the point of identifying a question to the process of reaching a conclusion. Realize your audience will include Primary Investigators, post-docs, and Ph.D. students that are also experts in the field . Attempt to grab the audience’s attention from the beginning by providing them with a reason to care. Then continue to explain how your study relates to the published work . After building up the background, address how you arrived at your research question. The most exciting part of your presentation should be explaining your conclusions and the path you took to get there. Finish up strong by discussing the implications of your findings and how they will have an impact in the field . The natural flow of information will come with practice and a deep understanding of your research topic. Presenting as a student usually leads to networking with professors and clinicians that can help you progress in your career.

Patient Presentation

Medical students learn how to take a patient’s history and perform a physical exam, but it is more challenging to reason through your clinical findings and subsequently present to an attending . Your clinical presentation style will change depending on the environment, medical department, and supervising physician . Upon joining a medical team, discuss the expectations and preference with each physician . It may be a good idea to draft a script that can get you started on organizing your patient presentation. The success of your presentation is correlated to your knowledge of the basic sciences and ability to critically assess the patient’s history and physical exam; the more you learn and read, the easier decision making and producing a plan becomes. Another important element is practicing your presentation style until it comes out naturally . Take the time to listen to your peers and experienced colleagues; learn from their mistakes and strengths . After concluding your presentation, ask for feedback and practice implementing the suggestions. You will be the eyes and ears for the physicians in charge, perfecting your patient presentation will help get the care the patients need while making everyone’s job a little easier.

Final remarks

There are some basic steps to achieving an excellent presentation: know the topic well, understand who you’re presenting to, develop a memorable story, and practice until it comes out naturally. A career in medicine is very versatile; you can be at the forefront of the next generation of physicians sharing your experiences or updating the science community with your research conclusions. At the minimum, you will be presenting the patient in the clinic. Thus, presenting is a skill every physician must master.

Sulaiman Ahmad

Anatomy of a Successful Medical Student — 5 Critical Traits

Those who thrive in med school—landing in top residency programs without costing their wellbeing—are different from the pack. This is how they do it.

6 Lifestyle Factors That Are Killing Your Focus

Successful students take a holistic approach to their studying and lifestyle. Here are 6 simple tactics that will help you develop laser focus.

The Anatomy of a Successful Premed — 5 Traits That Will Set You Apart

Success as a premed isn’t about being the smartest student in the room. These are the premed traits that will take you from zero to hero.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Join the Insider Newsletter

Receive regular exclusive MSI content, news, and updates! No spam. One-click unsubscribe.

Customer Note Premed Preclinical Med Student Clinical Med Student

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Scientific Conference Posters: Conference Posters

Poster samples & sharing.

Search these sites to get ideas on how posters are presented within your discipline.

Also, if you upload your poster to one of these sites you can provide handouts or bookmarks with links to the electronic version of your poster at the conference, and keep your work accessible long after the conference.

• Faculty of 1000 Research Posters Open access repository for posters and slide presentations across biology and medicine.
• eposters Open-access journal that provides free access to over 1,800 scientific and medical posters presented at conferences from around the world.
• FigShare This link opens in a new window figshare allows users to upload any file format so that scholarly information can be disseminated electronically.

Designing a Research Poster

The following resources provide guidance on the poster creation process .

• ACP American College of Physicians - Preparing a Poster Presentation This article addresses poster planning, production, and presentation.

• Makesigns Scientific Poster Tutorial Step-by-step guide to poster design and creation.

These resources can be used to obtain copyright compliant images .  Image resolution will vary.

• USC Academic Unit Logotypes University approved logos.
• Open-i - Open Access Biomedical Image Search Engine This link opens in a new window Open-i searches for images in all Open Access articles indexed in PubMed Central. Search over 600,000 copyright compliant images by keyword, topic, or image to find relevant or visually similar images.
• Pixabay This link opens in a new window Repository of free, high quality, copyright compliant images. Begin typing "medical" into the search box. Click dropdown menu to filter by image type. Sign up for free account to download images.
• Wikimedia Commons This link opens in a new window A database of freely usable, high resolution image files.
• Google Images This link opens in a new window For copyright compliant images: type in keywords, click "Search tools", click on "Usage rights" dropdown menu, select from the "Labeled for reuse" options.
• Multimedia Resources (in the Health Sciences) Guide Find videos, audio clips, images, and cases to use in education.

Working with images

• Tips for working with images in Publisher Vendor tips for working with images in Publisher. Includes content about image size, resolution, file formats, and refining.
• Photoshop isn’t the only solution: 5 best programs for resizing images This article provides step-by-step instructions on how to upsample images using Photoshop, GIMP, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Preview, and Pixlr.

Image Manipulation Guidelines

Low resolution images may be manipulated to improve print quality, however you want to proceed with caution when it comes to images that represent research data.

• Rossner, M., & Yamada, K. (2004). What's in a picture? The temptation of image manipulation. The Journal of Cell Biology, 11-15. PMID: 15240566 This article provides specific guidelines on the do's and dont's of image manipulation in scientific publishing in order to ensure the integrity of your data.

Poster Sample / Tips

Diagram image citation:  Blausen.com staff. " Blausen gallery 2014". Wikiversity Journal of Medicine. DOI:10.15347/ wjm /2014.010. ISSN 20018762. (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

• Scientific Conference Posters - Webinar This video provides an overview of some tools, resources and key elements to creating a conference poster. Content covers software, general content, design tips, provides image resources, and tips for improved print quality. ~35 min.
• Conference Poster Click here to download a pdf copy of the poster above.
• Scientific Posters PPT slides Click here to download video PPT slides.

Click on chart to access online.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/new-pastpresentfuture/3800240305 /

• Psychology of Color This site provides information on the meaning of color and how it is perceived.
• The Art of Color Coordination How to combine colors in order to have a positive effect on your audience.

Upsampling images in Photoshop

Through a process called upsampling , you can add pixels to low resolution images , and thereby improve the print quality . The short video below demonstrates how to upsample images in Photoshop .

Final Checklist

https://www.acponline.org/system/files/documents/education_recertification/education/program_directors/abstracts/prepare/poster_checklist.pdf

Universal Design

Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people, regardless of their age, size or disability. 

• Equal Access: Universal Design of Conference Exhibits and Presentations A checklist for making conference exhibits and presentations welcoming and accessible to everyone.

Microsoft Publisher Tutorials

The following resources provide guidance on how to use Microsoft Publisher . Resources at the top provide step-by-step guidance about poster creation. Links at the bottom provide general guidance on using Publisher.

• Microsoft Publisher: Conference Poster Sessions University of Liverpool's Microsoft Publisher software video tutorial. Step-by-step demonstration of the key features used to create a poster. Applicable to Publisher 2010, 2013, and 2016. Run time ~12 min.
• Publisher 2016 Essential Training Training videos via Lynda.com that offer in-depth instruction to Publisher 2016.
• Text wrapping in Publisher Guide on how to wrap text around images in Publisher.

PowerPoint Templates & Tutorials

Links to freely available PowerPoint conference poster templates , and guidance for specific software features relevant to poster creation . 

• PhD Posters - Power Point Template Files PPT templates in a variety of sizes. Packed with helpful tips and easy to customize.
• Mega Print Inc - Free Powerpoint Scientific Research Poster Templates PowerPoint® 2007-2013 templates in a variety of sizes.
• Colin Purrington's PPT Poster Templates Free PPT templates and poster making tips.
• Using grids in PowerPoint Guide on how to set up grids in PPT for better content alignment.
• Creating a Poster in PowerPoint 2010 Eastern Michigan University's detailed guide to creating a poster in PowerPoint.

Other Software

Graphics , such as charts and tables can easily be created in Excel .

• Creating Excel charts with the Recommended Charts feature Lynda.com video tutorial that demonstrates how to create charts in Excel 2013. Requires login.

Print Vendors

The following list is provided as a convenience , and is not meant to endorse or promote any particular vendor.

• PhD Posters Fabric or paper options. Also offers free PPT templates and many poster creation tips.
• PosterSmith Fabric posters.

Help from Norris Medical Library

During business hours (M-F)

• Chat with USC Libraries
• Email: [email protected]
• Request a consultation
• Ask a Norris Librarian form
• View Health Sciences Libraries tutorials or all USC Libraries tutorials
• Last Updated: Nov 1, 2023 3:17 PM
• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/healthsciences/posters

• 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

Creating a compelling poster

Use poster presentations to spread the word about your study or project.  

• Effective posters convey key information and provide presenters with an opportunity to share their research and projects through meaningful dialogue.
• Successful posters follow conference guidelines and include compelling and esthetically pleasing titles, text, and graphics.
• Presenters should be prepared to concisely describe their project and answer questions.

Editor’s note: This is the first in an occasional series designed to help nurses disseminate their expertise.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of successfully implementing a project or conducting research is dissemination, including poster presentations. When presented effectively, post­ers can convey key information to large audiences and provide presenters with an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue on their topic.

All about the DNP project

In addition to sharing best practices and innovations, communicating project and research outcomes in internal and external workgroups also supports professional nurse development. Posters are a win–win opportunity for sharing new knowledge and information at local, state, and national levels to improve nursing practice and patient outcomes.

What makes a successful poster presentation?

Successful poster presentations have two main elements: a compelling poster and an engaging presenter. A conference poster should draw in viewers and describe the project clearly (especially important for situations when the presenter isn’t present with the poster), and the presenter should be able to succinctly describe their project and answer questions. The poster should be informative and spark ideas among viewers, who can take the information to their organizations and replicate it, making viewers potential collaborators.

To ensure a successful poster presentation, follow the conference guidelines; create compelling and esthetically pleasing titles, text, and graphics; and be prepared to concisely describe your project and answer questions. (See Poster checklist .)

Poster checklist

Use this checklist when you create a poster presentation.

Layout and design

• Use suggested font sizes, and be consistent with font style.
• Check the overall organization, layout, and design.
• Use viewer-friendly colors (for example, blue, green).
• Make all sections succinct.
• Ensure data are self-explanatory.
•  Make images/graphics clear and relevant.

Grammar, spelling, and punctuation

• Check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors; ask a colleague to review.

Other technical items

• Check for completeness based on the organizer’s poster template guidelines.
• Include appropriate citations and references.
• Include your contact information.

From Sherman R. Writing for presentations. In: Saver C, ed. Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses. 4th ed. Indianapolis, IN: Sigma; 2021; 215-26.

Poster template

A conference’s poster template guidelines typically include poster size, headings, and other key elements.

The conference organizer will set a standard poster dimension or a minimum and maximum. Typical sizes at U.S. conferences range from 30″ X 40″ to 48″ X 96″ in either portrait or landscape format.

General format and category.

Will your poster presentation be traditional (paper), digital/electronic, or oral? At large conferences, traditional poster presentations are typ­ical. Some conference organizers may run a competition with winning posters invited for a brief oral presentation. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many conferences moved to a virtual platform, with digital poster presentations.

Organizers may create poster categories, such as research, quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and education. The general headings required for each category will be stated in the abstract acceptance notification.

Sample Posters

The software most commonly used to create posters is Microsoft PowerPoint. Many healthcare professionals are familiar with this easy-to-use program. Your organization may already have a template, or a free version of a PowerPoint template can be downloaded from the web. Other programs used to create posters include Adobe Illustrator, LaTeX, and InDesign.

Content and layout

Title. Regardless of the primary aim of your poster, the title should catch viewers’ attention and make sense without further explanation. Here are some examples:

• Road to Zero HAPI—A performance improvement project on reduction of hospital acquired pressure injury (HAPI) (Vohra E, Shaw J. September 2020. 2020 Weill Cornell Medicine Poster Symposium, New York, NY)
• Project P.E.A.C.H. © ( P athway & E ducation towards A dherence, & C ompletion in H epatitis C) (Redulla R. May 2013. 48th Annual Course, Society of Gastroenterology Nurses & Associates, Austin, TX)

Some conference organizers specify a word count, so be sure to follow their guidelines.

Check the organizer’s requirements for specific sections. Generally, posters include these headings:

• Background and problem. What’s the clinical practice or patient outcome problem? Why is the research or project important?
• Research questions (for research projects)
• Specific aims (for quality improvement projects)
• PICO ( P roblem, I ntervention, C omparison intervention, O utcome for evidence-based practice projects)
• Methods (design, instruments, data and analysis, sample description). Choose an appropriate design based on the type of project. For example, quantitative and qual­itative designs for research; Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA), A3, and Lean for quality improvement.
• Results. Present primary, meaningful, and statistically significant information in text and graphs.
• Conclusions and implications. How are the findings important for practice, policy, and subsequent research? What conclusions are drawn from your results? Be clear and succinct to encourage viewers to replicate the project.

Design tips

Font. Popular fonts include Times New Roman, Rockwell, Georgia, and Baskerville. The conference organizer may specify acceptable fonts. Because hundreds of posters may be in the presentation area, your title should be in a large font. Patience and colleagues recommend these font sizes: title, 72 point; authors, 48; affiliations, 36; subheads, 48; text, 30; graph text, 28; references, 20.

Many organizations have poster templates that reflect their branding colors, and they may require employees to use that template for all internal and external presentations. Conference organizers also may require use of their own template, which supersedes organization requirements.

If you’re designing your own poster, use color to highlight, separate, define, and associate information, and keep the background color subtle. For example, use navy blue for all of the title and subheads and beige for the background.

Photos and graphics.

Use only high-resolution images and graphics. These visuals add meaning to your poster and create balance. Before using your own photos that include colleagues, obtain written consent. If you want to use someone else’s photos (whether a professional photographer or colleague) request permission. Also consider purchasing stock photography from sites such as Shutterstock or iStock. Avoid including photos with colors too similar to the poster’s background.

Tables and graphs.

Use tables and graphs to highlight key takeaways from your project with bullet points and short sentences to summarize information. Graphs present data visually. For example, use bar graphs to show data trends or pie charts to show composition (such as demographic information).

Managing space.

You want your poster to be easy to read and esthetically pleasing, so you’ll need to manage the positive space (text and content) and negative space (background). The poster shouldn’t be overcrowded with text and images, but it also shouldn’t have too much empty space. Check spacing above and below subheads and around images to ensure it’s consistent.

Print your poster.

Before printing the poster, invite peers to review it for design and accuracy, including grammar and spell­ing errors. For first-time presenters, ask colleagues for a printer recommendation. When you contact the printer, ask what file formats are accepted, the anticipated turnaround time, and when you can expect a final proof for review.

Paper posters are common, but you might want to consider fabric, which can be folded and packed in your luggage. But remember, never check your poster with the airline. Carry it with you at all times.

Presentation day

When you arrive at the conference, check the location for the poster presentations. The organizer should provide you with instructions, including the date and time allowed to put up your poster. For presentation day, prepare an elevator pitch to optimize your time with the audience, be ready to answer questions about your work, and bring printouts of your poster to distribute to attendees. At the end of the designated poster display time, promptly remove your poster as instructed by the organizer.

E-poster and virtual presentations

The first steps in preparing for a digital (e-poster) or virtual presentation are the same as those required to prepare a traditional poster. However, presentation day will be different.

For e-posters, the organizer provides each presenter with a display screen and laptop for the poster session. Some conferences may publish the e-posters on their website.

For a virtual presentation, you’ll be asked to submit your poster file ahead of time. Most virtual presentations occur in one of two ways. In the first option, the organizer creates a site within the conference platform to display the posters. In some cases, you may be allowed to record 3 to 5 minutes of audio to accompany the poster. Conference attendees can view the posters at any time. In the second option, the organizer develops a synchronous presentation platform with breakout sessions. Your poster will be assigned for presentation in one of the sessions.

Oral presentations

Some conferences provide an opportunity for oral presentations at a location near the poster hall. The oral presentations are brief and may have a question-and-answer session at the end.

Effective dissemination

Dissemination is a critical component of project completion. Posters, when done right, are an effective way to share research and new knowledge, showcase improved processes, and describe evidence-based practices. Poster presentations also provide opportunities for professional development, allow you to be recognized as an expert in your field, and highlight your organization.         AN

Rhoda Redulla is the Magnet Program Director at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, New York, and the author of Fast Facts for Making the Most of Your Career in Nursing.

Berg J, Hicks R. Successful design and delivery of a professional poster. J Am Assoc Nurse Pract. 2017;29(8):461-9. doi:10.1002/2327-6924.12478

Calbraith D. How to develop and present a conference poster. Nursing Stand. 2020;35(9):46-50. doi:10.7748/ns.2020.e11468

Farrington M. Sharing knowledge through poster presentations. ORL – Head and Neck Nursing. 2018;36(1):4-6.

Patience GS, Boffito DC, Patience P. Communicate Science Papers, Presentations, and Posters Effectively. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier Science; 2015.

Pavlovich-Danis S. All about graphics and tables. In: Saver C, ed. Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses. 4th ed. Indianapolis, IN: Sigma; 2021; 93-108.

Redulla R. Making a difference in research, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement. In: Redulla R, ed. Fast Facts for Making the Most of Your Career in Nursing. New York City, NY: Springer Publishing; 2020; 95-96.

Rowe N. Academic & Scientific Poster Presentation. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing; 2017.

University of Guelph Learning Services. How to Create a Poster. ovc.uoguelph.ca/core/sites/default/files/files/How%20to%20Create%20a%20Poster%20(Handout).pdf

Sherman R. Writing for presentations. In: Saver C, ed. Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses. 4th ed. Indianapolis, IN: Sigma; 2021; 215-26.

1 Comment . Leave new

I have engaged different templates for a poster, online and I feel i’m taking the right route. May I have some colleagues willing to share their experiences so far and willing to learn from my activities as well?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Post Comment

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.

Supporting the multi-generational nursing workforce

Vital practitioners

From data to action

Connecting theory and practice

Stevens-Johnson syndrome

Turning the tide

Gut microbiome and health

Addressing social determinants of health

Effective clinical learning for nursing students

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: The tale of a broken heart

Nurse safety in the era of open notes

Collaboration: The key to patient care success

AI takeaways from writing conference

Human touch

Leadership style matters

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 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.

Filed under Google Slides Tutorials • December 15th, 2023

How to Delete a Text Box in Google Slides

Discover how to delete a text box in Google Slides in just a couple of clicks. Step-by-step guide with images.

Leave a Reply

• 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.

Medical Presentation Templates

Elevate medical communication with Venngage's presentation templates, designed to effectively convey intricate concepts through informative content and clear visuals. Craft impactful medical presentations that cater to healthcare professionals, researchers, and educators, ensuring precise and engaging communication of complex medical information.

Other presentation templates

• Pitch decks
• User persona
• Brand guidelines
• Professional
• Group project
• Valentine's day
• Book report
• Mother's day
• Father's day
• Visual chart
• Architecture
• Social media
• Advertising

Popular template categories

• Infographics
• White papers
• Letterheads
• Newsletters
• Business cards
• Human resources
• Certificates
• Invitations
• Table of contents
• Magazine covers
• Price lists
• Album covers
• Book covers
• See All Templates

Got any suggestions?

We want to hear from you! Send us a message and help improve Slidesgo

Top searches

Trending searches

suicide prevention

8 templates

computer network

75 templates

spring season

28 templates

cybersecurity

6 templates

46 templates

18 templates

Diagnosis with Medical Imaging

Diagnosis with medical imaging presentation, free google slides theme and powerpoint template.

Experience a groundbreaking approach to medical presentations with this template. This game-changing tool seamlessly integrates the topic of X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans into visually captivating slides, allowing healthcare professionals to communicate diagnoses with precision and impact. As usual, you will not feel surprised at all at the sight of blue tones (it's the color of safety after all), but we've added many layouts (quite simple, so you will save time), illustrations and different types of diagrams and infographics.

Features of this template

• 100% editable and easy to modify
• 35 different slides to impress your audience
• Contains easy-to-edit graphics such as graphs, maps, tables, timelines and mockups
• Includes 500+ icons and Flaticon’s extension for customizing your slides
• Designed to be used in Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint
• 16:9 widescreen format suitable for all types of screens
• Includes information about fonts, colors, and credits of the resources used

How can I use the template?

Am I free to use the templates?

How to attribute?

Attribution required If you are a free user, you must attribute Slidesgo by keeping the slide where the credits appear. How to attribute?

Related posts on our blog.

How to Add, Duplicate, Move, Delete or Hide Slides in Google Slides

How to Change Layouts in PowerPoint

How to Change the Slide Size in Google Slides

Related presentations.

Premium template

Unlock this template and gain unlimited access

Poster Presentation Submissions 

Do you have a program, best practice or a research study that enhances and advances the medical fitness industry? Share your inspiring story during our 33rd Annual Conference on November 1-4, 2023 in Baltimore, MD.

If you have submitted a proposal for a conference session, you may also submit a proposal for a poster. If your poster is accepted, you will receive a complimentary Annual Conference registration.

Poster presentation deadline ends September 1, 2023 .

MFA Poster Presentations provide an opportunity to share best practices, successful programs and research findings. Posters will be selected by our Conference Committee.

The presenters who are approved will be invited to present their poster, facilitate discussions and answer questions during the scheduled times.

Topics for Poster Presentations Include (but not limited too):

• Clinical Integration
• Benchmarks and Outcomes
• Personalized Medicine
• Population Health
• Chronic Disease Management
• Strategic Positioning
• Best Practices

Instructions:

• Advertising or product/brand promotion is not permitted.
• Posters should present an overview of the research, program or promising practice, including the rationale, population, brief description, the results and the value and applicability of the material.
• Photos and graphics in addition to text are encouraged.
• Availability of program resources and contact information are appropriate.

Your Name (required)

Your Email (required)

Company Name (required)

Title of Poster (required)

Brief Summary (required)

Brief Conclusion (required)

Benchmarks & Outcomes Best Practices Clinical & Beyond Personalized Medicine Population Health Management Other Strategic Positioning Technology

• Certifications
• ©2023 Medical Fitness Association
• PO Box 36125, Indianapolis, Indiana 46236
• Ph: 910-420-8610