Scientific Abstracts

Scientific Abstract submissions are limited to 3,000 characters, including spaces, with the option to include either one table or one figure as part of the character count. The maximum character count applies only to the following sections:

• Background
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusions
• Tables/Graphics (if included)

The character count limit does not apply to author information.

1. Title (Title Case, no all caps, quotes, underlining, or bolding.)
2. Background (Describe the context and importance of the study and state the objective(s) and/or hypothesis and/or research question of the study.)
3. Methods (Include a description of the methods used, including study design, setting, population, outcome measures, and analytic procedures.)
4. Results (Describe the results in sufficient detail to support the conclusions. Tabular or graphic results are acceptable. It is not satisfactory to state, "The results will be discussed," or "Other data will be presented." Abstracts that do not provide actual results will not be considered for publication or presentation.)
5. Conclusions (State the implications of the findings for clinical practice, research, education, or policy.)
6. Learning Objectives (2 required) focused learning objectives, stating what the physician should be able to do after learning from the case presentation. Each learning objective should reflect one of the six ACGME Core Competencies.Objectives are action-oriented and should begin with words such as recognize, diagnose, assess, treat, distinguish, or manage. They should NOT begin with terms like "know how to" or "understand." Examples:
   • Diagnose hip fracture when the plain X-rays are normal
   • Recognize the clinical features of anorexia and bulimia in a male
   • Assess health literacy in at-risk populations
7. Graphics (Optional. See below.)
8. Presentation Format (Oral Presentation Only, Poster Only, No Preference. See below.)
9. Primary & Secondary Submission Categories (See below.)
10. Award Eligibility (Optional. See below.)
11. Scheduling Restrictions for Presenting Authors (Optional. See below.)
12. Non-Commercial Funding Source (Optional. See below.)
13. Authors (Required. See below.)

Optional Inclusion of a Graphic:

• Scientific abstract submissions may include either one table or one figure.
• Graphics should be compact and used only to display essential results, where textual presentation would be less efficient.
• Large tables and figures intended for use in oral or poster presentations are not appropriate for abstract submissions. See below for specifics on graphic sizes.

Graphic Sizes:

• Maximum size: 3 inches in width
• Graphics will be included in the online publication of SGIM Annual Meeting abstracts in the JGIM Supplement. Abstracts are printed in two columns, and the optimal publishing format ensures legible text at 3 inches in width.

Graphic Size and Character Count:

• The size of the graphic will count against the overall character count of your submission. The larger the graphic, the less text you may include. If the graphic is too large, the ScholarOne system will notify you to either scale the image down or upload a smaller version to conform to the character limit.
• Check the character count in the top right-hand corner of each ScholarOne webpage.
• Ensure you allow enough time before the submission deadline to upload and resize your graphic if necessary.

Graphic Size/Character Count Examples:

• 3"w x 2"h graphics = 672 characters
• 3"w x 3"h graphics = 768 characters
• 3"w x 4"h graphics = 990 characters
• 3"w x 5"h graphics = 990 characters
• 3"w x 6"h graphics = 990 characters
  Total character limit is 3,000 characters (excluding author information).

Format Your Graphics for Submission Upload:

• .TIFF format:
  • 300 dpi halftone
  • 600 dpi with text
  • 600 dpi combined halftone and text (embedded text)
  • 1200 dpi bitmap (pure text and lines, b/w)
• .EPS format:
  • 300/600/1200 dpi objects combined with embedded images and vector

Example Graphics:

• The recommended graphic size is 3 inches wide by 2 inches high, which uses the least character count (672 characters).
• Graphics should only be included when they are more efficient than textual presentation and should remain compact to display essential results.
• If accepted for a presentation, more detailed graphics can be used during the poster or oral presentation.

To Create a Graphic for Import:

1. Download the example graphic template (Microsoft Word Document).
2. Create a table or graph and save the document as a PDF.
3. Save the PDF as a TIFF or EPS file.
4. Upload the file into ScholarOne and click "Save Changes."

DOWNLOAD EXAMPLE GRAPHIC

Submission Disqualification

An abstract may be disqualified from consideration if it includes:

• More than one graphic (figure or table).
• A graphic created by combining multiple images into one file for upload or a graphic that is larger than 3 inches in width.
• Information within the body of the abstract that has the potential to identify your institution.
  • Instead, institutions should be identified as “community,” “academic,” or “VA” medical centers, and by region: Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, New England, Northwest, Southern, or Southwest region.

Acceptable examples:

• Focus groups were conducted at an academic medical center in the Midwest Region.
• Data were collected through a consortium of community medical centers in the Southern and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Unacceptable examples:

• Focus groups were conducted at an academic medical center in Ohio.
• Data were collected at a VA Medical Center in central Florida.

Identify your preference for presentation format:

• Oral Presentation Only
• Poster Presentation Only
• No Preference

Preferred Presentation Format Choice Matters:

• SGIM schedules accepted submissions based on the results of the peer review process. The highest-rated submissions are scheduled for oral presentations, followed by those rated highly enough for poster presentations.
• Every year, the Scientific Abstracts category receives the highest volume of submissions at SGIM. Therefore, we encourage authors to consider whether their submissions would be more relevant and/or competitive in other categories, such as medical education interventions in Innovations in Medical Education, quality improvement projects in Innovations in Healthcare Delivery, etc.
• We recommend stipulating "no preference" to increase the likelihood of your submission being accepted.
• If you stipulate "oral presentation only" and your submission is ranked only high enough for a poster presentation, you will receive a rejection notification.
• Submissions funded through direct commercial support should select "poster only" as their choice, as poster sessions do not offer CME credit hours.

Oral Presentations:
Highly-rated submissions will be scheduled for oral presentations during Oral Presentation Sessions. Each session typically features four presentations, with 10 minutes allocated for the presentation and 5 minutes for audience Q&A.

Poster Presentations:
Well-rated submissions will be accepted as poster presentations. Presenters will be required to create both a physical poster for onsite display and a digital version that will be accessible throughout the meeting on the meeting app.

Scheduling Restrictions for Presenting Authors
Optional. Authors may identify any schedule conflicts at the time of submission. Specific schedule slot requests are not guaranteed, but will be taken into consideration.

Select the category that best matches the submission. Categories also determine assignment to review committees. The Program Committee does its best to schedule sessions within the same category in a manner that avoids conflicts across concurrent sessions, but it is not always possible.

View Categories

Mack Lipkin, Sr. Associate Member Scientific Abstract Oral Presentation Awards:

• Three awards will be given to associate members whose abstracts are ranked the highest by the judging panel.
• Eligible candidates must be current SGIM Associate Members (Student, Resident, or Fellow).
• Candidates must be the primary (first) author of a scientific abstract submitted for the annual national meeting and must have had a major role in the work being submitted.
• Finalists are selected from the top-rated eligible submissions. Typically, 12 abstracts are chosen.
• Finalists' presentations will be evaluated by judges at the Annual Meeting.
• If the eligible author cannot present at the Annual Meeting, they may designate a co-author to present in their place, but this will disqualify them from the award.

Milton W. Hamolsky Junior Faculty Scientific Abstract Oral Presentation Awards:

• Three awards will be given to junior faculty members whose abstracts are ranked the highest by the judging panel.
• Eligible candidates are junior faculty who are in their first two years of a faculty appointment.
• Candidates must be the primary (first) author of a scientific abstract submitted for the annual national meeting and must have had a major role in the work being submitted.
• Finalists are selected from the top-rated eligible submissions. Typically, 12 abstracts are chosen.
• Finalists' presentations will be evaluated by judges at the Annual Meeting.
• If the eligible author cannot present at the Annual Meeting, they may designate a co-author to present in their place, but this will disqualify them from the award.

Optional: Choose as many as apply:

• AHRQ Funding
• DOD Funding
• NIH Funding
• PCORI Research Grant
• RWJ Foundation
• VA Funding
• Other

The program committee reserves the right to use this information in scheduling.

Adding Authors:
You will be asked to enter the names and affiliations of all authors who contributed to your submission. Please confirm all authors' contact information before submitting.
Note: Each submission is limited to a maximum of 10 co-authors. You cannot list more than 10 co-authors per submission.

To add an author in the submission form:

1. Search for the author’s existing account in ScholarOne to avoid creating duplicate accounts.
   a. Search by first name, last name, or email address.
2. If no account exists, create an account for the co-author.
3. Co-authors will receive an automated email inviting them to update their contact information and complete a disclosure.

After adding an author, please ensure the information is correct and current:

• Name
• Email Address: Co-authors will receive an automated email notification inviting them to complete a disclosure at the listed email address.
• Affiliation: If their current institution is not on the list, select "Add new Institution" and search for it in the pop-up menu. You can create an institution if it is not listed.
• Function: Select the role the person is serving for the submission (in most cases, this will be "additional faculty").
• SGIM Membership Status: Select the person’s member status. If unknown, select "non-member."
• Ethnic Background: Select the appropriate ethnic background from the list or enter their self-description. This information is for internal use only.
• Gender: Select the appropriate gender from the list or enter their self-description. This information is for internal use only.
• Author Categories: Student, Resident, Fellow, Faculty, Health Professional (non-physician), or Other.

Designate Presenting Author:
Select the presenting author option next to the author in the author listing to designate the presenting author. This author will present the poster or oral presentation if accepted. The presenting author's name will be underlined in the Journal of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting Online Supplement. Only one author can be designated as the presenting author.

Order Author List:
Arrange the order of the author listing by selecting the order number next to each author. Typically, the first author is designated as the presenting author unless another co-author is chosen to present.

Topic & Intended Audience

Know your topic and your intended audience:

• Who are the primary attendees you are targeting?
• Why is this topic important to them?
• Is it innovative and creative?
• Is the topic timely?
• Does it help audience members address an urgent need (e.g., accreditation issues)?
• How much time does your topic require?
• Choose the most appropriate category for submission.