Fifty COMP and COMP-Northwest students present at the Western Medical Research Conference
Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) and COMP-Northwest once again had a strong presence at the Western Medical Research Conference (aka Carmel meeting) on Jan. 18-20, 2024.
Fifty students presented 32 oral communications and 18 posters at the conference. Second-year COMP student Heather Berndt won the WAFMR/WAP/WSCI Student Subspecialty Award.
Dr. Sébastien Fuchs and Dr. Hendrik Szurmant guided the students in their abstract preparations, in the preparation of their posters and PowerPoint slides, and in rehearsing their presentations. They, along with Dr. Mathew Wedel and Dr. Anita Nelson, who mentored students’ projects, traveled to Carmel to encourage them by their presence.
The increasingly larger contingent of students from WesternU and the dedication of our faculty is recognized by the American Federation of Medical Research sponsoring this meeting and Dr. Fuchs has been elected to chair the meeting next year.
Here are a few words from the students who have participated in this meeting:
“I wanted to thank you for a wonderful experience in Carmel. It was my first time presenting and I had a blast! Thank you so much for all you do!”
“Thank you so much for your support with this conference. It was very meaningful, and I am so happy I did it!”
“This experience has been incredibly enriching, providing me with the opportunity to expand my professional network, delve into diverse areas of research, and discern my interests for future research endeavors.”
“Since I started medical school in the fall of 2020, there have been so many experiences that I feel I have missed out on because of isolation, quarantine, distance learning and online opportunities. Being able to attend in person was such an amazing experience. It helped build my confidence with my public speaking. It allowed me to practice my oratory skills and be able to interact with people in real time as they asked questions. I also learned a lot from watching other presentations and interacting with my peers at the conference!”
“This has been one of my favorite memories in med school thus far and I am feeling motivated to be a part of more research and attend more conferences because of it.”.
“Thank you again for all of the work you did to make the conference possible. It was an amazing experience, and I am so thankful to have been able to attend.”
View more photos from the conference below.
