In this video blog, Douglas DiRuggiero DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, discusses highlights from his lecture, Who Cares About Conference Posters? Your Patients Do!, on July 27, 2024, during the inaugural Elevate-Derm Alliance Summer Conference at the Westin Copley Place in Boston, Massachusetts.

In this video

Speaking with Buchi Nida, PA-C, DiRuggiero argues that posters are "much more than" an add-on to an exhibit booth. They deliver information you won't hear in a product theater or from a rep — often ad hoc, new, or innovative data — packaged in a condensed, aesthetically pleasing format with a conclusion, takeaway, and limitations. Reading them takes only a moment but can "change the way that we do things" or confirm current practice. He notes that a quality poster is well organized, gives balanced information, states its limitations, and lists credible authors; when a poster hides the bad and shows only the good, he grows skeptical.

DiRuggiero also demystifies submission. While industry now drives many posters, he stresses that PAs and NPs don't need to be in a residency or backed by industry to contribute — case reports and case series (three to five patients with the same diagnosis or treatment) are common and can be built from online templates. Posters and abstracts are a strong way to build a resume, break into lecturing, and later translate into a journal publication. He cautions that publishing first can sometimes bar a poster submission, but presenting a poster first rarely excludes later journal publication, provided authors disclose the prior presentation and follow each journal's author requirements.

  • Posters carry new, ad hoc, or innovative information in a bite-size format with conclusions, takeaways, and limitations — content you won't get from a rep or product theater.
  • A high-quality poster is well organized, balanced, states its limitations, and lists credible authors; missing limitations is a red flag that the bad may be swept under.
  • When posters have live presenters, use open hours to interact with the author for more detail; when reading electronically, read the fine print on methods and analysis.
  • You don't need a residency or industry backing to submit — case reports and case series are widely accepted, and templates and existing posters can guide format.
  • Presenting a poster/abstract first rarely blocks later journal publication, but publishing first may limit poster submission — always check each venue's rules and disclose prior presentation.