FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

The IJMS World Conference of Medical Student Research (WCMSR) provides medical students, recent medical graduates, and their collaborators with an international platform to present research, receive structured academic feedback, and communicate their findings to a global audience.

This page answers common questions about eligibility, study types, abstract preparation, fees, peer review, presentations, publication, awards, and technical submission requirements.

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Key Information

Item WCMSR Information
Conference format Online
Conference dates July 10–11, 2027
Abstract submission deadline May 10, 2027, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Deadline time standard Unless expressly stated otherwise, every WCMSR deadline closes at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the listed date.
Maximum abstract length 500 words
Submission website IJMS online submission system
Required submission section Abstracts of the WCMSR
Contact email conference@ijms.info
Important publication note: WCMSR is an IJMS project, but submitting an abstract does not guarantee acceptance at the conference or publication of a full-length article in IJMS. Conference abstract publication and full-manuscript publication are separate editorial processes.

About WCMSR

What is the IJMS World Conference of Medical Student Research?
  • WCMSR is an international online scientific conference organized by the International Journal of Medical Students. It is designed to provide medical students, recent medical graduates, and early-career researchers with an opportunity to present original scholarly work, receive feedback, and participate in an international academic program.
Is WCMSR a virtual conference?
  • Yes. The conference is held online through an interactive platform. No travel is required. Access information is shared with accepted presenters and announced through official IJMS communication channels.
Is the conference organized by the same IJMS as the International Journal of Medical Students?
Is the conference legitimate and academically recognized?
  • WCMSR operates through the formal editorial and peer-review infrastructure of the International Journal of Medical Students. IJMS is published with the support of the University of Pittsburgh Library System and uses established editorial, authorship, ethics, and peer-review procedures.
  • Recognition of a conference presentation for employment, residency, fellowship, promotion, or academic credit remains subject to the policies of the institution reviewing the applicant's record.
What are the academic benefits of participating?
  • Participation may provide experience in scientific communication, structured peer feedback, international exposure, a citable abstract publication for accepted and presented work, and eligibility for conference awards. Authors should describe the output accurately on their curriculum vitae as a conference presentation and, after publication, as a published conference abstract.
Does presenting at WCMSR guarantee a career, residency, or fellowship advantage?
  • No conference can guarantee an application outcome. A presentation may strengthen an academic record by documenting research dissemination and communication experience, but selection committees evaluate the complete application and apply their own criteria.

Eligibility and Authorship

Who is eligible to submit?
  • At least one author must be a current medical student or a physician within the first three years after medical school graduation. Researchers at other career stages may participate as co-authors.
Can I submit if I am not the first author?
  • Yes. The submitting or corresponding author does not necessarily need to be the first author. However, all listed authors must satisfy the applicable authorship criteria, and the author order must be approved by the complete author group before submission.
Who should be the corresponding author?
  • The corresponding author should be a reliable member of the author group who can complete the submission, respond promptly to administrative and editorial messages, coordinate corrections, confirm author information, and communicate decisions to all co-authors.
Must every author have an ORCID identifier?
  • Authors should obtain and enter their own ORCID identifier. An ORCID must belong to the named author and should not be created or entered by another person without authorization.
What authorship standard does WCMSR use?
Can a senior researcher, supervisor, or faculty member be a co-author?
  • Yes. Faculty members, supervisors, and researchers at other career stages may be included when they satisfy authorship criteria. Their participation does not replace the requirement that at least one author meet the student or recent-graduate eligibility criterion.
Can I submit more than one abstract?
  • Yes. Authors may submit as many abstracts as they wish. Each abstract must be submitted as a separate submission, and the applicable submission fee must be paid separately for each abstract.
  • A separate proof of payment must be uploaded with every individual submission. Reusing one payment receipt for multiple abstracts, combining several abstracts in one submission, or failing to provide the corresponding proof of payment for each abstract may result in administrative rejection of the affected submissions.
Can I use one payment receipt for several abstracts?
  • No. Every abstract requires its own submission fee and its own proof of payment. The receipt uploaded with a submission must correspond to that specific abstract. Abstracts submitted without an individual valid payment receipt may be administratively declined.
Who must present an accepted abstract?
  • At least one author must present the work. The presenting author must be identified after acceptance and must comply with the Presenter Guidelines. The Conference Team may establish additional eligibility rules for specific award categories.

Eligible Research and Study Status

What types of studies are accepted?
  • Eligible submissions include original clinical or epidemiological research, basic science and laboratory research, medical education research, interventional and quasi-experimental studies, meta-analyses, case reports, and case series.
What types of submissions are not accepted?
  • Narrative reviews, systematic reviews without a meta-analysis, study protocols, research proposals without completed results, and work outside the scientific scope of the conference are not accepted.
Are systematic reviews accepted?
  • A systematic review is eligible only when it includes a meta-analysis that meets the conference requirements. Systematic reviews without a meta-analysis are not accepted.
Are case reports and case series accepted?
  • Yes. Case reports and case series are eligible when they provide a clear educational or scientific contribution, protect patient confidentiality, and comply with applicable consent and ethics requirements.
Can I submit a study from a nonclinical field?
  • Yes, provided the work is relevant to medicine, health, healthcare, medical education, public health, epidemiology, surgery, basic science, or another field within the conference scope.
Can I submit a small study or a study from a single institution?
  • Yes. Study size alone does not determine eligibility or quality. Reviewers consider whether the research question is appropriate, the methods are rigorous, the results are reported transparently, and the conclusion is supported by the data.
Can I submit preliminary results?
  • Results must be sufficiently complete to support a meaningful conclusion. An abstract that states only that data collection is underway, results are pending, or findings will be presented later is not considered a complete original research submission.
Can I submit a study that is still recruiting participants?
  • Only completed analyses should be reported. An ongoing study may be eligible when the submitted abstract presents a defined, completed analysis based on data already collected and does not misrepresent the status of the larger project.
Can I submit work that is under review at a journal?
  • Generally, an abstract may be submitted when the full manuscript has not been published, but authors must disclose concurrent journal review or other dissemination when relevant. Authors must also comply with the policies of the journal considering the manuscript and should inform the Conference Team when eligibility is uncertain.
Can I submit work that was presented at another conference?
  • Previous conference presentation must be disclosed. Eligibility may depend on the extent of prior dissemination, the policies of the other conference, and whether the WCMSR submission represents a permissible and appropriately updated presentation of the work. Contact conference@ijms.info before submitting when uncertain.
Can I submit an abstract based on an article already published in a journal?
  • No. The abstract must not have been previously published as a full scientific journal article. Submitting previously published work as new or unpublished research may result in rejection.

Abstract Preparation

What are the principal formatting requirements?
  • The abstract must be written in English, use the official WCMSR template, contain no more than 500 words, include three to five MeSH keywords, contain no references, and include no more than one visual item: either one figure or one table.
  • Review the complete Abstract Requirements before submission.
What structure should original research use?
  • Original research abstracts must use the headings Background, Aim, Methods, Results, and Conclusion.
What structure should a case report use?
  • Case report abstracts must use the headings Background, Case, and Conclusion.
Must I use the official template?
Are references permitted?
  • No. References, in-text citations, footnotes, and bibliographic lists are not permitted in WCMSR abstracts.
Can I include both a figure and a table?
  • No. Authors may include a maximum of one visual item: either one figure or one table, but not both.
How should I choose keywords?
Is English proficiency a barrier?
  • Authors are not expected to be native English speakers. However, the abstract must be understandable and scientifically precise. Authors remain responsible for grammar, terminology, numerical accuracy, and readability and are encouraged to obtain language review before submission when needed.
May I use artificial intelligence to edit the abstract?
  • Generative artificial intelligence may be used only for limited language or editorial assistance in accordance with IJMS policies. It must not be listed as an author, fabricate content, replace author verification, conceal plagiarism, or receive confidential or identifiable patient information. Authors remain fully responsible for the submission.
Which reporting guideline should I use?
  • Use the guideline appropriate to the study design, such as STROBE for observational research, CONSORT for randomized trials, STARD for diagnostic accuracy studies, PRISMA for meta-analyses, CARE for case reports, COREQ or SRQR for qualitative studies, ARRIVE for animal research, and SQUIRE for quality-improvement studies. The EQUATOR Network provides abstract-specific reporting resources.

Ethics, Consent, and Research Integrity

Do I need ethics committee or institutional review board approval?
  • Research must comply with the ethical and regulatory requirements applicable to the study design, institution, and country. When review was required, the abstract should identify the approving committee. When review or consent was waived or not required, authors should be prepared to explain the applicable determination.
Do case reports require patient consent?
  • Authors must obtain consent for publication when required by their institution, applicable law, journal policy, or publication-ethics standards. Identifying information must not be included unless its use is ethically justified and authorized.
Is plagiarism screening performed?
  • Yes. Submissions may undergo plagiarism and research-integrity screening before scientific peer review. Plagiarism, fabricated or falsified data, duplicate submission, inappropriate text recycling, and misrepresentation of authorship may result in rejection.
Can the same abstract be submitted twice?
  • No. Duplicate submission of the same or substantially similar abstract is not permitted unless the Conference Team has provided written authorization.
What should I do if I discover an error after submission?
  • Contact conference@ijms.info promptly and include the submission number, title, and a clear description of the correction. Minor administrative errors may be correctable, but changes are not guaranteed after the deadline or once review has begun.

Submission Process

Where do I submit my abstract?
Which submission section must I select?
  • Select Abstracts of the WCMSR. Do not submit the abstract to another journal section.
  • If the WCMSR option is not visible, the call for abstracts has not yet opened or has already closed. Abstracts submitted to the wrong section may not be considered for the conference, and the IJMS Conference Team is not responsible for missed deadlines, administrative ineligibility, or fees resulting from failure to follow the submission instructions.
What information must be entered in the submission system?
  • The title, abstract, keywords, author names, author order, affiliations, corresponding-author details, and other metadata entered online must match the uploaded abstract template. Inconsistencies may delay screening or require correction.
What files must I upload?
  • Authors must upload the completed official abstract template and an individual proof of payment for that specific abstract. When submitting multiple abstracts, each submission must include its own payment receipt. Additional files may be required depending on the submission or administrative review.
Can I save a submission and finish it later?
  • The submission system may allow an incomplete submission to remain in the author's account, but the abstract is not considered submitted until all required steps are completed. Authors should not wait until the deadline to finalize the process.
How do I know whether my submission was completed?
  • A completed submission should appear in the author's IJMS account and have a submission number. Authors should retain the confirmation message and verify that the uploaded files and metadata are correct.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
  • Deadlines are strict and close at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the listed date unless expressly stated otherwise. Late submissions are not guaranteed review or consideration. Technical difficulties, incomplete uploads, payment delays, or submission under the wrong section do not automatically justify an extension.
Can I change the authors after submission?
  • Authorship changes require a valid explanation and approval from all affected authors. They are subject to editorial review and are not automatically permitted, particularly after acceptance. Contact the Conference Team before making or requesting any change.
Can I withdraw my abstract?
  • The corresponding author may request withdrawal by emailing the Conference Team. The request should include the submission number, title, reason for withdrawal, and confirmation that all authors have been informed. Submission fees are generally not refundable unless the Conference Team states otherwise.

Fees, Reductions, and Waivers

What is the submission fee?
  • The fee is based on the World Bank income classification of the corresponding author's country:
Country Income Classification Fee
Low income US$10
Lower-middle income US$20
Upper-middle income US$30
High income US$40
Why is there a submission fee?
  • The fee supports conference administration, submission management, peer review, technical organization, publication preparation, and related conference operations. Payment does not guarantee acceptance.
How do I pay?
  • Payment may be made through IJMS PayPal or by searching for @editorijms. Each abstract requires a separate payment and a separate proof of payment. Retain a PDF or screenshot of the transaction and upload the corresponding proof as a supplementary file within that individual abstract submission. Submissions without their own valid proof of payment may be declined.
Are fee reductions or waivers available?
  • Authors with a justifiable financial need may request a reduction or waiver according to the current submission guidelines. IJMS Student Editors may be eligible for a 50% reduction. Approval must be obtained through the established process and should not be assumed.
Is the fee refundable if the abstract is rejected?
  • No. The fee is an abstract submission and processing fee, not an acceptance or publication fee. It is generally nonrefundable after submission and administrative processing have begun.
Is the fee refundable if I submit to the wrong section?
  • Authors are responsible for selecting Abstracts of the WCMSR and following all submission instructions. The IJMS Conference Team is not responsible for fees incurred when an author submits to an incorrect section or fails to comply with the published requirements.

Peer Review and Decisions

How are abstracts evaluated?
  • Eligible abstracts undergo administrative screening, plagiarism screening, and scientific peer review. Reviewers assess originality, quality of the data, quality of the methods, clarity of writing and conclusions, and potential scientific or societal impact. Each criterion has a maximum of five points.
Is the conference competitive?
  • Yes. Acceptance depends on scientific quality, compliance with the guidelines, available space in the conference program, and programmatic considerations such as international and regional representation. The number accepted may vary by edition.
Do I need prior publications to be competitive?
  • No. WCMSR is designed for medical students and early-career researchers. Reviewers evaluate the submitted work rather than the author's prior publication record.
Will a small study automatically receive a low score?
  • No. A small or single-center study may score well when the research question is relevant, the design is appropriate, the analysis is sound, the limitations are acknowledged, and the findings are reported clearly.
Will I receive reviewer feedback if my abstract is rejected?
  • The Conference Team aims to provide decision information and reviewer evaluation when available. The amount and format of feedback may vary. Authors may use the comments to improve the abstract or subsequent manuscript.
Can I appeal a decision?
  • An author may contact the Conference Team when there is evidence of a material procedural error, undisclosed conflict, or factual misunderstanding. An appeal is not a request for a new decision merely because the authors disagree with the reviewers' scientific judgment. Appeal procedures and deadlines may be specified in the decision communication.
How quickly are decisions made?
  • For the 2027 edition, the peer-review period is scheduled for May 11–June 5, 2027, and decisions are scheduled to be announced on June 10, 2027. Unless a communication states otherwise, any action required by authors on a listed deadline date must be completed by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Dates may be adjusted when operationally necessary, and authors should monitor their email and IJMS account.

Presentations and Attendance

What presentation formats are used?
  • Accepted abstracts may be assigned to an oral presentation or a single-slide virtual poster presentation. Authors must use the format assigned by the Conference Team.
How long are presentations?
  • Oral presentations are allocated seven minutes for the presentation and up to three minutes for questions. Virtual poster presentations are allocated five minutes for the presentation and up to two minutes for questions.
Do I need to attend live?
  • Yes. The presenting author is expected to attend the assigned live session, present the work, and answer questions. A prerecorded presentation is a technical backup and does not replace live attendance unless the Conference Team grants written authorization.
What if I cannot attend the assigned session?
  • Contact the Conference Team immediately. Schedule changes are not guaranteed. Failure to attend without authorization may result in removal from the program and exclusion of the abstract from publication.
Is a prerecorded presentation required?
  • Yes. Submission of a prerecorded presentation is mandatory for every accepted presenter. The recording serves as the official technical backup and must follow the same presentation format and time limit as the live presentation.
  • The prerecorded presentation must be submitted by the stated deadline. Presenters who do not submit the required recording on time may be removed from the conference agenda, lose eligibility to present, and have their abstract excluded from conference publication or award consideration.
Is technical testing mandatory?
  • Yes, when required by the Conference Team. Presenters must attend at least one designated testing session to verify audio, video, screen sharing, and platform access.
What happens if I have internet or technical problems?
  • The prerecorded presentation may be played to avoid interrupting the program. The presenter should remain connected whenever possible to answer questions. Technical contingencies do not guarantee rescheduling.
Can another author replace the designated presenter?
  • A presenter change may be considered when another listed author is eligible and available. The corresponding author must request approval before the conference and provide the replacement presenter's complete information.

Abstract Publication and Full Manuscripts

Will every submitted abstract be published?
  • No. Only abstracts that are accepted, satisfy the final requirements, and are presented as required are eligible for publication in the IJMS conference supplement.
Will accepted abstracts receive a DOI?
  • Accepted and presented abstracts are planned for publication in the IJMS conference supplement, with an individual digital object identifier assigned to each published abstract.
Does an abstract publication count as a publication?
  • Yes, it may be listed as a published conference abstract. It should not be described as a full-length peer-reviewed research article. Authors should use the final citation supplied by IJMS after publication.
Is a published conference abstract considered grey literature?
  • Conference abstracts are commonly categorized within grey literature or conference literature, although terminology varies across databases and institutions. The abstract should be cited according to its actual publication type in the IJMS supplement.
If my abstract is published, can I still publish the full paper later?
  • Usually, yes. Publication of a conference abstract does not normally prevent later submission of a substantially expanded full manuscript. The manuscript must provide substantially more complete methods, results, analysis, interpretation, and discussion than the abstract. Authors must disclose the prior abstract publication to the journal receiving the manuscript and comply with that journal's prior-publication policy.
Can an article already submitted to IJMS participate in the conference?
  • Potentially, yes. An author may submit a separate conference abstract based on the study, provided that the abstract is eligible, the relevant manuscript has not already been published, any concurrent submission is disclosed, and the abstract complies with WCMSR requirements. Conference submission does not alter or guarantee the editorial decision on the article.
Does conference acceptance guarantee publication of my full article in IJMS?
  • No. Abstract acceptance, presentation, award selection, and abstract publication do not guarantee acceptance of a full-length article. A full manuscript must be submitted separately and undergo the journal's standard editorial and peer-review process.
Must the full article differ from the published abstract?
  • Yes. A full article must be a substantially expanded scholarly work rather than a reproduction of the abstract. It should include complete methods, detailed results, appropriate tables and figures, a developed discussion, limitations, references, and all other elements required by the target journal.
Will the abstract be indexed in bibliographic databases?
  • Published abstracts will be accessible and citable through the IJMS conference supplement and assigned a DOI. Inclusion or discoverability in any external database depends on the database's independent coverage policies and should not be guaranteed unless confirmed for the specific supplement.

Awards and Opportunities

Are conference awards offered?
  • Yes. Award categories may recognize original research, case reports, basic science, peer-review performance, presentation quality, or audience preference. Categories may change between conference editions. Most common awards have been:
    • The Top 10 presentations will be awarded: a certificate and the opportunity to have a fast-track peer-reviewing process of their full paper towards publication in an issue of the IJMS
      • 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for Best Research Presentation at the WCMSR based on judge score.
      • 1st and 2nd place for Best Case Report presentation at the WCMSR based on judge scores.
      • 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for highest score during the abstract revision process for original research.
      • 1st and 2nd place for highest score during the abstract revision process for case reports.
      • Basic Science Bench Research Project Award, 1st place for the top-scoring experimental/bench-based basic science study, as determined by judges.
      • Most-liked by the public.
      • Most-viewed presentation.
How are presentation awards determined?
  • International judges independently evaluate the overall research, clarity of the speaker, clarity of the presentation materials, and quality of responses to questions. Each category may receive up to five points, for a maximum of 20 points per judge.
Does winning an award guarantee publication of a full manuscript?
  • No. An award may include recognition or an editorial opportunity such as expedited or fast-track consideration, but it does not guarantee acceptance. Any full manuscript must satisfy IJMS requirements and complete editorial and peer review.
What are my chances of winning an award?
  • No individual probability can be predicted. Award eligibility depends on the category, number and quality of presentations, compliance with presenter requirements, and judges' independent scores.
Is there a direct financial benefit for presenters?
  • WCMSR participation should not be interpreted as paid employment or a guaranteed financial return. Its principal benefits are academic dissemination, feedback, presentation experience, recognition, and potential award eligibility.

Common Problems

What are the most common avoidable submission errors?
  • Common errors include failing to use the official template, exceeding 500 words, omitting completed results, including references, using the wrong number of keywords, submitting both a figure and a table, entering inconsistent author information, omitting ORCID identifiers, failing to upload a separate proof of payment for each abstract, reusing one receipt for multiple submissions, and selecting the wrong submission section.
What happens if my submission is incomplete?
  • When correction is possible, the corresponding author may be asked to supply missing information or files within a specified period. Failure to respond on time may result in rejection. The Conference Team is not required to correct or complete a submission on behalf of the authors.
What is the biggest procedural mistake to avoid?
  • Do not submit to a journal section other than Abstracts of the WCMSR. Also avoid waiting until the final hours before the deadline, because payment, file-upload, account-access, and metadata problems may require time to resolve.
What if I am unsure whether my study is eligible?
What should I include when emailing about an existing submission?
  • Include the submission number, complete title, corresponding-author name, and a concise explanation of the question or problem. Do not send confidential patient information by email.

Still Have Questions?

Contact the WCMSR Conference Team at conference@ijms.info.

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