How can medical students develop a medical congress?

Felipe Teles de Arruda; Ingredy Tavares Da Silva, Fernanda dos Santos; Gabriela
Menichelli Medeiros Coelho; Marcelo R. Levites

Submission Abstract
Objective: The Organization of scientific events has always been a taboo for
medical students. This paper discusses how medical students from different
universities can organize a medical congress.
Methods: The study reports the experience of a group of 14 medical students from
five universities in So Paulo in organizing a medical congress, with the help of the
Brazilian Society of Family Medicine (SOBRAMFA).
Result: After choosing a team, we prepared a schedule of general and specific
activities, on which we based the development of this report.
Conclusion: It was possible to notice that with planning, an integrated, organized
and committed staff, students become able to develop a good quality medical
congress.
What is the session about?
Fourteen medical students from Brazilian institutions, from the first to the tenth
semester of the course, organized SOBRAMFAs XVIII Academic Congress, held in
So Paulo - Brazil. This paper reports their experience.
With the aim of encouraging the students to bet involved in the organizational
process of a congress, SOBRAMFA met some of the universities student leaders
who actively participate in academic events developed by the institution.
After selecting the team members, we drew up a schedule of the general and
specific objectives, which based the development of this report. They are:
Choosing the location: We considered convention centers, hotels and university
auditoriums and analyzed the benefit-cost ratio, each places infrastructure,
reservation date, accessibility (if the place was easily accessible through public
transportation such as buses, subway) and surroundings (if it was safe for
attendees who were going to the event in their own vehicles).

Budget / prices of the congress: After the site was selected, we recorded the costs
and considered the income level of the target audience. We chose to make the
congress affordable and compatible with the reality of students in Brazilian
medicine value.
Sponsorship: One group was instructed to seek companies willing to sponsor the
event and send a sponsorship letter, email and phone calls.
Themes: We covered topics that are little discussed in the universities;
contemporary and timeless themes that involve not only the art of medicine but also
culture, music and literature. The central theme of the congress is "From the
formation of knowledge to the understanding of the human being".
Notice / awards: we prepared a notice containing detailed information about the
Congress and sent it through digital media to academic and medical professionals.
It was stipulated that there would be no monetary awards to the authors of the best
works but an honorable mention to those who stand out.
Disclosure: we made posters and distributed them in all universities and teaching
hospitals, in addition to publishing messages in social networks and mailing,
generating an impressive and satisfying result.
Time / movement: It is a structure of all tasks performed by the organizing
committee on the day of the event, with purpose of improving the implementation of
the congress.
Conclusion: As a result, we can affirm that with planning and an integrated,
organized and committed staff, students become able to develop a good quality
medical congress.