Organizing a Student Led Virtual Research Conference Focused on Addressing Disparities in a Rural Community

Abstract

The purpose of his study was to describe the implementation of a virtual student-led research conference at a medical school in a rural area that focused on addressing disparities in medical education opportunities and ways to address disparities in an underserved medical community. The ability to host virtual conferences in light of an evolving digital presence in medical education is both cost-effective and allows a greater dissemination of research to those that may not have been able to attend an in-person conference. Two virtual research symposiums were hosted on Zoom in 2020 and 2021 with the help of faculty and students. Submissions were allowed from any student and could have any mentor affiliation involved. Abstracts were organized into sessions based on common themes, such as orthopaedics, cardiology, and translational sciences, then analyzed according to various categories such as social determinants of health, mental health, and healthcare for marginalized groups. Those who attended the conferences were asked to complete a digital evaluation form in weeks following the conference and the average ratings of the responses were analyzed. In total, 425 individuals attended both events with the majority being students (64%) from the College of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Graduate Studies. Eighty-four percent of the 211 presenters were from the College of Medicine. Forty three percent of research presentations addressed rural disparities with a 12% rise in presentations focused on these areas (36% to 48%) from 2020 to 2021. Eighty eight percent of all participants who completed an evaluation form were agreeable to attending a virtual event again. Based on these results, the implementation of virtual conferences led by medical students presents an effective solution to increase research opportunities for students located in rural settings. Increased opportunities to present their research at their school encouraged students to identify and address disparities in their local community.