Research Day
Research Day and Banquet
The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Calgary holds an annual Research Day. All Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine residents beyond the R2 year are expected to present. Research Day includes presentations not only by pathology residents, but also by fellows, graduate students, medical students, and even technologists associated with the department.
Research Day, more than just being a competition, provides residents with an opportunity to be trained and evaluated in the scholarly aspects of physician competency. Research Day not only allows the department to internally comment on the design and presentation of a resident’s research, but these projects form the starting point of subsequent educational travel, a highly valuable ancillary educational activity made available to residents doing original research.
The Research Day is currently held in the late spring/summer.
Our department takes great pride in our Annual Research Day, which has been a center piece in our program for over twenty years. Funding for Research Day comes from multiple sources including the APL Resident’s Budget, PGME, and from the Paul Kneafsey and Anna Kossakowska Memorial Funds.
At the end of Research Day, an Awards Banquet is held to celebrate the achievement of all presenters and to declare the winners of the competition. The Banquet also offers residents and staff an informal and relaxed environment in which to relax, socialize, share ideas, and otherwise get to know one another.
The Research Day Awards include: Outstanding Clinical Research ($500.00), Outstanding Basic Science Research (Dr. Anna Kossakowska Award) ($500.00), and an Honorable Mention Award in both the Clinical and Basic Science categories ($250.00 each). In addition, a $250.00 prize is awarded to the Best Poster presentation (provided 2 or more are posters are entered).
The work presented must be original, and must be based on work undertaken predominantly in Calgary. The presenter must be a major contributor to the work. While most of the residents will be expected to deliver a platform presentation, entry into the poster competition is also acceptable. Residents may choose to enter a platform presentation and a poster, if desired.
Abstracts are generally due 6 to 7 weeks before Research Day, and Abstract Guidelines will be distributed well before-hand. Guidelines must be strictly adhered to in order to warrant consideration for acceptance. All Research Day presentations (poster and platform) are eligible for awards.
Platform presentations are 10 minutes in length, with 5 minutes allowed for questions/discussion. The order of presentations will be randomly selected, although some scheduling allowances may be made for supervisors who are off-site. Posters should be in position well before the Viewing Session begins.
Three Adjudicators participate in the judging of the presentations; two are local Professional Staff, and one is the Visiting Guest Speaker. At the end of the day, the Adjudicators meet and choose the Award Recipients (Award details are given below). In general, presentations are judged based on their content, originality, relevance, science and methodology. Presentation style, background knowledge, and ability to respond to questions are also taken into account.
Research Day Awards
First Prize: Basic Science Category
(Anna Kossakowska Award) ($500.00): This Award is given to the most Outstanding Basic Sciences presentation. The Award is named in memory of Dr. Anna Kossakowska, a dedicated Anatomical Pathologist and Basic Science Researcher from the Department of Pathology (1984-2003). Dr. Kossakowska was a cornerstone of the Autopsy and Lymphoma services at the Foothills Medical Centre for many years, and published widely in the field of Hematopathology and Molecular Pathology.
First Prize: Clinical Science Category
($500.00): This Award is given to the most Outstanding Clinical Sciences presentation.
Honourable Mention
(One each in the Basic and Clinical Sciences Categories)($250.00): This Award is given to the second most highly ranked presentation, in both the Basic Sciences and Clinical Sciences categories.
Best Poster Award
(Any category)($250.00): If two or more poster presentations are entered, an Award for the Best Poster will be given. The Poster Author must be present at the Poster Session, and available to answer questions in order to be considered for this Award.