Behind the scenes with the organizers of the Nov. 22 Student Research Symposium

Gabriel Taggart (right), an M2 who serves as co-president for the Student Committee for Clinical Research along with Simran Chandawarkar, is encouraging students to participate in this year’s Student Research Symposium on Nov. 22.

What is the Student Research Symposium, and what is its main purpose?

Every year, the Committee for Student Clinical Research (CSCR) at NEOMED hosts the Student Research Symposium, which allows students to showcase their research and scholarly projects to the NEOMED community. The symposium serves multiple purposes. First, it recognizes the students' dedication and hard work invested beyond the classroom. Second, it provides a professional conference setting for students to share their findings, promoting a collaborative environment where they can learn from one another.

How can students have their research and other scholarly work included in the Student Research Symposium?

Students can register by submitting their abstracts using the call for abstracts form. All abstracts are due Monday, Sept. 23 at 11:59 p.m. Any NEOMED student who has conducted research or other scholarly endeavors during their time at NEOMED is encouraged to participate.

How many are you expecting at this year’s event and when will the event be held?

The event has been growing year over year. This past symposium we had 142 students present their research, with 126 posters and 16 oral presentations. We are expecting that number to increase even higher this year. The symposium will be held on Friday, Nov. 22.

Who all serves on the Committee for Student Clinical Research?

I serve as co-president for CSCR along with my colleague Simran Chandawarkar. We are both currently second-year medical students at the College of Medicine. Our primary role is to lead the operations of the symposium, everything from abstract approval to event coordination. We also serve as the primary contacts for anyone who has any questions about the event. Henyah Dardir (M2), Justin Iwuagwu (M2), and Muhammad Farooqui (P3) serve as vice presidents. Jacob Fay (M2) serves as our secretary, and Aarushi Kini (M2) is treasurer. The team is extremely excited to work together to organize this event and we are eager to witness so many students share and learn from each other’s research experiences. We receive assistance a team of wonderful faculty members who help with all the planning and work involved.

How can other students become involved in setting up the event?

We are accepting applications for CSCR research symposium volunteers. Positions include a symposium equipment set-up crew, poster set-up crew, a tear-down crew and oral presentation moderators/timekeepers. CSCR will be happy to sign off on volunteer hours.
This is a great way for students to get involved, especially first-year students. Any prospective volunteers can feel free to sign up via the volunteer form and can reach out to Simran Chandawarkar or me with any questions.

We are so very excited to see you all in November!