Daniel Prettel was a Spring 2017 Conference Grant recipient. He is a rising Senior majoring in Biology.
I still cannot believe I attended the Society of Surgical
Oncology Annual Cancer Symposium 2017 to present a poster! Needless to say,
I am an undergraduate student. So, you might be wondering, how in the world did
I end up presenting a poster at a professional surgical oncology conference?
Well, lets start by saying I was extremely fortunate to take part in some
clinical research at the local hospital back home in South Carolina (Greenville
Memorial Hospital, Greenville, SC).
The research I took part in was a retrospective medical
chart review of melanoma patients
with the disease in the head and neck
area. The research looked at comparing two different imaging modalities (CT-SPECT vs. Planar Lymphoscintigraphy)
for the localization of lymph nodes, as they are vital for the staging and
treatment of invasive melanoma. The research spanned two entire summers and
encompassed hundreds of hours of hard work and perseverance. I was assigned the
project, and even though I received constant support and supervision from my
proctor and the anchoring surgeon, I was tasked with everything from developing
the research question to analyzing results and composing a manuscript. The
abstract to the manuscript was submitted to the conference. As you might be
able to guess, it was accepted and I was able to go!
I presented the poster throughout one day at the posters and
new research section of the conference. It was an amazing experience as not
only did attending the conference give me a glimpse of the interactions within
the medical community in terms of research, but it also allowed me to venture far beyond my comfort zone and
present a project to professionals in the field! As you might imagine, it was
extremely nerve-wracking yet immensely rewarding. Some of my worries, as I
practiced my poster synopsis time and time again, had to deal with meeting
surgeons and experts in the field who would question/critique my performance
and research. Though the above was a burdensome fear at first, soon after I
arrived at the conference I found myself deeply engaged by the potential of
learning that presenting my research meant. Discussing my poster with other
residents/fellows presenting next to me made me feel empowered and gave me a
whole lot of insight into the vastness of medicine and research.
Throughout the long hours that poster presenters were
required to stand by the posters and defend their abstracts, I was able to
interact and converse with some of the other presenters right beside my poster.
As mentioned, these were all medical residents and fellows, which meant they
were way ahead of me in terms of knowledge and experience. Nonetheless, getting
to experience that brief lapse of time during which I was both treated and
looked at as a peer, allowed me to gain lots of insight into everything raging
from applying to medical school to patient treatment and specialization. At the
end of the poster presentation day, a small reception was held. This was an
incredible time to meet so many different doctors and experts across the field.
My small-time bonding with the poster neighbors inspired them to introduce me
to other doctors across the country whom after repeating the same phrase over
and over again, “you’re an undergraduate?”, presented me with everything from
phone numbers to names of residency programs.
Overall, my experience engaging in research in the manner
that I did was definitely life-changing. It was an opportunity that allowed me
to venture far beyond what is common for undergraduates and experience the
field of my aspired profession in a fascinating and engaging way.
Visit the Undergraduate Research Programs website to learn more about applying for Conference Grants.
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