On June 2nd I travelled to Winnipeg to present at the Canadian National Medical Student Research Symposium (CNMSRS). The CNMSRS provides a forum for Canadian medical student researchers to showcase their research. During the 3 day conference I had the opportunity to give a Lightning Oral Presentation on “Mass Gatherings Health: Improving the quality and operationalization of field-collected data”, as well as present a poster on the same subject. There were also several fantastic keynote speakers.
[CNMSRS Poster Ross Prager Final -Flattened PDF; for the truly committed!]
Our research highlighted the importance of data quality in Mass Gatherings Health research, and sought to explore the underlying human, environmental, and logistical factors that contributed to poor data quality during mass gatherings. We also made several concrete recommendations to improve data quality. Although directed towards Mass Gatherings Health, our research had broader interest at the conference and seemed to spur some discussion among other researchers into data quality and its role in their respective fields of study.
Although there were many highlights, what I found most rewarding was the opportunity to learn from other medical students involved with research. I gained perspective into some of the rewards and challenges of integrating research into a career in medicine, and learned helpful tips to balance the two. The CNMSRS was a fantastic experience and something I would highly recommend to all medical students involved with research.
Ross Prager
Medical Student Year II
UBC MGM Club Executive