One Poster. One Message

A poster is designed to convey one complex finding in simple terms. You may have spent hours on descriptive tables and extended yourself on sensitivity analyses. Leave that for the paper.

Get out the Butcher's Paper

It might seem more efficient to mock something up on your laptop. It will frustrate and constrain you. Use a whiteboard or butcher’s paper and arrange the key elements in myriad ways. Then when you have some feng shui finalists, mock them up in any program you can master (e.g. PowerPoint/Adobe Illustrator/Microsoft Word), and share to your supervisor.

Check the Specs

Abstracts are changing. You may have the option of one or more short videos, a 3-slide PowerPoint, E-poster or a printed format with a built-in QR code. It's worth reading the instructions. Your institution (e.g. hospital or university) may also mandate certain poster formats, schema and logo positioning. Allow 2 days for last minute printing (and medical illustrations departments will take much longer).

Medical Illustrators are your Best Mate

In my experience, these are artistic and generous people who will share in your passion. Come to them with your text, 1-2 figures and a mud map for how it might be arranged. Leap at whatever can be conveyed with concept diagrams, flow diagrams or other visual tools. The goal is to spare text wherever possible.

Distillation

Remove ALL unnecessary phrasing and subpoints. Then remove all potentially unnecessary words or clauses. Still make sense? Keep it that way.

Find an Honest Audience

Is the viewer taking away the key message you want them to? The ‘non-medical’ friend is an excellent litmus test. They may help you reduce crowding, improve colouring and layout, especially since most of us seem to dump these skills somewhere on the side of the road to graduation.

Stand Proud

That hour shuffling your feet next to your poster is not about defending your family’s honour. Rather, it’s an opportunity to meet people and take on feedback or future directions. Prepare a few key summative phrases introducing your design and findings, remember to smile, be proud of your work and show curiosity.

References and Resources

1. Gundogan B, Koshy K, Kurar L, Whitehurst K. How to make an academic poster. Annals of medicine and surgery. 2016;11:69-71
2. Nundy S, Kakar A, Bhutta ZA, Nundy S, Kakar A, Bhutta ZA. How to Present a Poster in a Conference?. How to Practice Academic Medicine and Publish from Developing Countries? A Practical Guide. 2022: 347-56.

Section Author

Dr Tess Evans
Tess is an ICU trainee, aspiring clinician scientist and PhD candidate through the University of Western Australia. She is currently based at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Intensive Care Unit. Her doctorate characterizes the gut microbiome in septic shock. Her non-clinical interests extend to data science and the epidemiology of critical illness. Tess’s ideal day involves a swim in the ocean, a run in the sun and thinking science while drinking coffee.

Trainee Reviewer

Dr Colin Mak
Colin is an Emergency Medicine registrar currently working at the Gold Coast University Hospital. Having escaped the rainy shores of England, he enjoys hunting down off leash dog beaches with his fluffy dog and, like every critical care doctor, spending his entire salary on overpriced takeout flat whites.