Random poster question

[guitarguy23]

So I was first author on a poster presentation with another resident. Apparently they submitted the poster for presentation to our hospital's annual poster/presentation conference for residents and students and are presenting it.

Is it poor form to not tell me that? I don't really care that they are presenting except that I didn't know until I saw their name on the presenter list and I (the lowly student) did the bulk of the work in putting it together. Should I say something? Thanks.

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[deleted763299]

First off, congrats on the poster.

I think this is poor form on your co-author's part, however is it a big enough deal to say something about? I probably wouldn't, but I don't think I personally would be bothered by the situation. If you do say something I would keep it mostly positive, especially since this person kinda did you a favor (even if they didn't discuss with you first). At the end of the day, your work gets seen by more people, and you get another line on your CV because of this presentation.

 

[mimelim]

So I was first author on a poster presentation with another resident. Apparently they submitted the poster for presentation to our hospital's annual poster/presentation conference for residents and students and are presenting it.

Is it poor form to not tell me that? I don't really care that they are presenting except that I didn't know until I saw their name on the presenter list and I (the lowly student) did the bulk of the work in putting it together. Should I say something? Thanks.

Sadly, this happens with reasonable regularity. Yes, it is poor form to present something that not all the authors are aware of. You are well within your rights to tell the conference (or whatever it is) that you did not consent to your work being published in this form. Alternatively, you could simply ask them to remove your name. Now, obviously I would not advise you to do either of those things because it is of zero benefit to you. Most conferences require every single author to make an account on their website and acknowledge/give permission for the work to be presented. Obviously, the smaller or less formal the conference is, the less likely such systems will be in place.

When this has happened with me in the past, I have laid into the offending resident. I don't tolerate poor communication with my co-authors. It is far too disruptive and can lead to major issues in the future (like conferences blacklisting you or your organization). However, I am in a very different position than you right now. So, in conclusion, #1 know that your co-author made a significant mistake, #2 don't do what they did in the future, #3 put it on your CV, move on with your life and avoid working with that person in the future.