The-APS.org/Education/Professional Skills Training/Home Page

Do you want to...?
- Improve your skills at introducing yourself to colleagues, faculty members, chairs?
- Learn how to write a better meeting abstract?
- Know how to write a great poster?
- Learn what constitutes an effective poster design?
- Learn how to present your poster to different types of audiences?
- Discover how diversity issues may influence your presentation skills?
- Learn about resources that can further develop your presentation skills?
Who can apply?
- Lower level graduate students with first-author meeting abstract and poster
How will I benefit?

After finishing the program, you will have…
- A well-thought-out and practiced professional introduction
- Hands-on experience at writing and critiquing meeting abstracts
- Hands-on experience at writing and designing scientific posters
- Hands-on experience at giving poster talks
- Network of peers and mentors to share critiques and advice
- Tools and resources for developing future presentation skills
What is the cost?
- Travel (roundtrip budget airfare or mileage)
- Ground transportation to and from home airport (if applicable)
- $700 Registration includes:
  - Materials and instructor support
  - Hotel room - double occupancy (note that students are expected to share a room with another course participant)
  - Food
  - Ground transportation from Orlando airport to hotel
How is the Course structured?
- Intensive 2.5-day course (day & evening work, so please, no families during the course)
- Groups of 5 students paired with 1 instructor/mentor from your field
- Taught by experienced biomedical researchers
- Hands-on training at critiquing your presentation skills and those of your colleagues
- Pre-workshop homework required (readings, sending in a draft abstract and/or poster)
What is my commitment?
- Attend the entire short course on “Basic Presentation Skills”
- Complete all the required readings before the course
- Send in a draft abstract and poster of which you are the 1st author by December 1^st
- Send in a critique of an supplied abstract by January 2^nd
- Bring a complete poster with you to the course (can be a previously presented poster)
- Complete all the required work during the course
- Thoughtfully complete all the evaluations: before, during, and after the course
- Participate in all aspects of the course as fully as possible
How do I apply?
- APPLICATIONS due October 3^rd, 2008 with payment
- Go to http://www.the-aps.org/awardapps
- Fill in your profile information
- Submit the requested material:
  - The title and key words for your first-author manuscript
  - 2-page biographical sketch
  - 1-page letter stating why you want to attend the course
  - Letter from your research advisor agreeing for you to attend and discuss your meeting abstract and poster
- Submit payment via fax (download payment form here)
FAQs