What is considered a 'presentation'?

[cfx]

Yes, dumb question. I DO know what a presentation is, but I'm curious what's specifically meant by research presentation (as in the sentence "do you have any publications or presentations?"). Does this just refer to a large-scale presentation given at, say, a conference? Or does it include ANY scenario in which you presented your research to an audience?

I participated in a program at a "big name" institution and, as part of it, gave a formal presentation of my work and findings open to all staff. So would this be considered a presentation, or be worth mentioning on my AMCAS? Or are presentations more along the lines of presenting your work at AACR or some other national conference?

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[LetsGo352]

I presented my research findings with a group of about 30 tenured professors/researchers. I put this down as a presentation in my application, but I was not really sure either.

 

[cfx]

I presented my research findings with a group of about 30 tenured professors/researchers. I put this down as a presentation in my application, but I was not really sure either.

Yup, that's essentially what mine was. I'm mostly just not sure if I should tack on a sentence about this as a side note when writing about the program, or if I could bump it up to "presentation" status, in it's own slot.

 

[Hejman]

On that note, would an honors thesis defense count?

 

[LetsGo352]

Yup, that's essentially what mine was. I'm mostly just not sure if I should tack on a sentence about this as a side note when writing about the program, or if I could bump it up to "presentation" status, in it's own slot.

Yeah, I specifically explained the circumstances just to make sure there was no misunderstanding of me actually presenting a poster at a conference or something.

 

[NickNaylor]

On that note, would an honors thesis defense count?

Maybe, but you would probably want to hype the actual research that you did rather than the defense at the end. The former would be much more significant IMO.

 

[Web MD]

I took it to mean national conference presentations. That being said, my own presentation was only the abstract due to scheduling time constraints and I never had a chance to present at my own institution (not that they probably would have cared anyway). I just explained the details/circumstances about who I presented to and when it came up during interviews I focused on what the research was instead.

 

[dr zaius]

I assumed poster presentations and oral presentations were at national/international conferences. I did not list any student research expos or the usual culmination of internship poster presentations.

They don't really specify (from what I remember from a year ago), though, so you're probably safe putting it in AMCAS.

 

[ThaliaNox]

As someone who's seen a number of "presentations" listed on AMCAS, they run the gambut from departmental faculty presentations to national podium presentations. It's like anything else, everything helps, but the more prestigious the presentation, the more it helps. It is the same thing as listing helping with Relay for Life as volunteering versus listing the 15 hours per month for three years you spent volunteering at a nursing home. One just means more. I'd even say something like a home university departmental presentation would mean more than weekend volunteering events, which I see constantly, so go ahead and list it. Takes guts to present research and defend against questions afterward.

 

[apumic]

I assumed poster presentations and oral presentations were at national/international conferences. I did not list any student research expos or the usual culmination of internship poster presentations.

They don't really specify (from what I remember from a year ago), though, so you're probably safe putting it in AMCAS.

This is how I've always understood it. Basically, they should be presentations at a conference (regional level or higher). Dept or institutional presentations are really just practices for the big ones. Had I listed an institutional presentation on my Ph.D. app they would have laughed my application to the trash!

When you think presentations, think of it in the sense of "what counts as a research paper on my app/resume?" If you would put down a philosophy term paper or your latest O-Chem Lab report on your app as research, then go right ahead and put a dept presentation or thesis defense down as a presentation.

 

[familyaerospace]

National and International Conferences.

 

[LizzyM]

As someone who's seen a number of "presentations" listed on AMCAS, they run the gambut from departmental faculty presentations to national podium presentations. It's like anything else, everything helps, but the more prestigious the presentation, the more it helps. It is the same thing as listing helping with Relay for Life as volunteering versus listing the 15 hours per month for three years you spent volunteering at a nursing home. One just means more. I'd even say something like a home university departmental presentation would mean more than weekend volunteering events, which I see constantly, so go ahead and list it. Takes guts to present research and defend against questions afterward.

👍

 

[cfx]

As someone who's seen a number of "presentations" listed on AMCAS, they run the gambut from departmental faculty presentations to national podium presentations. It's like anything else, everything helps, but the more prestigious the presentation, the more it helps. It is the same thing as listing helping with Relay for Life as volunteering versus listing the 15 hours per month for three years you spent volunteering at a nursing home. One just means more. I'd even say something like a home university departmental presentation would mean more than weekend volunteering events, which I see constantly, so go ahead and list it. Takes guts to present research and defend against questions afterward.

Thanks for the feedback.

Would you suggest that I just include a line or two about the presentation at the end of my description for the the program that I took part in (?) or a line at the end of my research description (?) or make an entirely separate entry for this?

(LizzyM?? ThaliaNox?...sounds like you've reviewed a few apps too)

 

[JonathanMD]

I did a poster presentation at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). It involved me standing in front of a poster for 2 hours (along with roughly 50 other students, in that time slot) attempting to answer questions as students, faculty, and random other people walked around.

It felt like a high school science fair.





edit: Here's a picture from their website. This is literally what it was like.

 

[JJMrK]

Yes, dumb question. I DO know what a presentation is, but I'm curious what's specifically meant by research presentation (as in the sentence "do you have any publications or presentations?"). Does this just refer to a large-scale presentation given at, say, a conference? Or does it include ANY scenario in which you presented your research to an audience?

I participated in a program at a "big name" institution and, as part of it, gave a formal presentation of my work and findings open to all staff. So would this be considered a presentation, or be worth mentioning on my AMCAS? Or are presentations more along the lines of presenting your work at AACR or some other national conference?

The bolded, IMO.

National and International Conferences.

Regional conferences work too.

 

[LizzyM]

Thanks for the feedback.

Would you suggest that I just include a line or two about the presentation at the end of my description for the the program that I took part in (?) or a line at the end of my research description (?) or make an entirely separate entry for this?

(LizzyM?? ThaliaNox?...sounds like you've reviewed a few apps too)

I think that this is what separates Presentations from presentations. If it is at a regional meeting or greater then give it its own slot. If not, just mention it within the text of you research entry.