The AMSSM membership enjoys lively discussion regarding the presentation and work-up of interesting cases. These are some tips that can enhance the quality of your write up and ensure a successful case presentation at the annual meeting.

In choosing to submit a case for consideration for presentation, you should be prepared to defend your workup and your management decisions, particularly if you are presenting new or controversial management protocols . Constructive criticism from both the panel and the floor are expected. Criticism should not be taken as a personal affront by the presenter. While the presenter is discouraged from lecturing on the topic; he/she is expected to have attained a reasonable degree of expertise through the clinical care provided and the research performed in preparation of the presentation; therefore he/she is encouraged to answer questions from the panel/audience and actively participate in the discussion.

Writing a Case

• Check your grammar and spelling carefully, as this may affect your review.
• Follow the space guidelines. In general, the fewer words you can use to write the case, the better. Do not feel you have to fill all the space.
• Leave spaces to make your case readable, which may increase the likelihood of a positive review.
• Allow the case to “unfold” as it did when the case first presented to you.
• Be sure to include all reasonable differential diagnoses.
• DO NOT include your final working diagnosis in the title! Diagnosis in the title may exclude your case from evaluation and/or lead to alteration of the title.

Presenting a Case

• Expect to present your history and physical, ending with a differential diagnosis in 4 minutes (usually 4-5 slides at a speaking rate of 1 minute per slide), then stop for comments and questions.
• Expect another 3 minutes for your workup (lab, imaging, final diagnosis, treatment, & outcome) after this break (another 3-4 slides, at a speaking rate of one minute per slide).
• The remainder of your case presentation time will be devoted to comments, questions and discussion between you, the panel, and the audience.
• Time your presentation carefully. If you should exceed the allotted time for any section, the chair will stop you mid-presentation.
• Case presentations are a framework for discussion, and presenters are strongly discouraged from lecturing on their topic. Include one slide at most, designed to cover teaching points, only if the diagnosis is unusual. It is expected that should the presenter begin to lecture on the topic, the chair will intervene and continue the discussion in a more informal manner.

CASE ABSTRACT SUBMISSION FORM
We invite you to submit a Case Abstracts for presentation at the 2011 AMSSM Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, UT.  Abstracts will be accepted until November 19, 2010, at 10:00am CST (9:00am EST).  You must be a member of AMSSM in order to submit an abstract.  If you going to submit an abstract, please login to the AMSSM Members site and the link to the abstract submission form will be active on the Abstract Submissions page.  If you are not logged in the link will not be visible.  Once you have submitted your abstract you will receive a email confirming your submission. Please be sure your email is correct before you submit your abstact to ensure you receive this confirmation.

RESEARCH ABSTRACT SUBMISSION FORM
Research Abstract submission is now closed. We invite you to submit your abstract next year for the 2011 Annual Meeting.