Any real value in attending ASTRO as a Med Student?

[LightHouse123]

I am a rising MS4 about to apply for rad onc this year.

I had a publication get accepted for ASTRO for a poster presentation.

I am trying to weigh the cost of attending ASTRO i.e 1. Application fees 2. Flights 3. Housing and daily living expenses

to the benefit of attending ASTRO this year: 1. Potentially meeting program directors 2. Making connections

And I am trying to know if its worth it? (i.e I can have the 2nd author present the poster)

Thanks for your feedback.

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[radoncftw]

I am in the same boat, rising MS4.

I had an ASTRO poster last year and thought it would be a great networking opportunity...and it wasn't really. Besides schmoozing with your home program's attendings/residents and attending your home program's reception (if they have one)...I don't felt like I networked much. Had fun exploring San Antonio thought.

That being said, I sent in a few abstracts that got accepted as posters this year and plan to attend ASTRO.

FWIW, I think you should go and "present" your poster. It'll give you something to talk about and bring up on interviews. Otherwise, you can get into the gray area of:
"Oh, you had a poster at astro?"
"Yeah, well-sort of. I was 1st author but couldn't attend"

 

[Cancerdancer]

No academic attendings/PDs are going with the intent to network with med students. It might by chance happen, but don't bank on it and it won't buy you much/anything.
And no academic attendings/PDs are going to ask you if you actually stood by your poster at ASTRO, or hold it against you. Congrats on the poster.
Ask the dept you did research with if they can supplement/pay your expenses as you're presenting research with their name on it first though. If you're having to pay out of pocket, don't go, unless you get along great with the home residents. However, they too will probably view you as a clinger unless you're the coolest med student ever--in which case you won't need the benefit of having a few drinks with your home program residents.

 

[Sheldor]

Agree with most of whats been said, but wanted to add on that I think it would be valuable to have something to talk about at interviews. Its one of the few meetings that a lot of attendings go to, or at least follow the plenary news from afar, so being able to have those in your back pocket is a good thing. I presented at RSNA and I was asked about it at nearly every interview I went to, but none of my interviewers were there so it was generally brief.

That said, I wouldn't have spent my own money to go. So, I say get department to pay for it and go, or sit it out if you need to spend your own money.

 

[RadOncDoc21]

No academic attendings/PDs are going with the intent to network with med students. It might by chance happen, but don't bank on it and it won't buy you much/anything.
And no academic attendings/PDs are going to ask you if you actually stood by your poster at ASTRO, or hold it against you. Congrats on the poster.
Ask the dept you did research with if they can supplement/pay your expenses as you're presenting research with their name on it first though. If you're having to pay out of pocket, don't go, unless you get along great with the home residents. However, they too will probably view you as a clinger unless you're the coolest med student ever--in which case you won't need the benefit of having a few drinks with your home program residents.

I actually hung out with some of the attendings and it got me in the door. I would say that I was the unusual case because our department chair was extremely cool, but ASTRO can be a productive experience for a medical student.