Abstract Information
Call for Abstracts
The Call for Abstracts will be open from July 16 through August 31, 2026. This is your opportunity to share your work with the osteopathic medical education (OME) community at Educating Leaders 2027, the AACOM Annual Conference, taking place April 14–16, 2027, at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
We invite submissions from across the OME community—including medical students, residents and fellows—for consideration in one of five specialized audience tracks:
- UME Services
- UME – Pre-Clerkship and Clerkship
- UME – GME Continuum
- Graduate Medical Education
- OME Design and Innovation
Download the EL27 Abstract Types, Themes and Tracks (PDF)
Audience Tracks
- UME Services: Student-facing systems that support recruitment, progression, and success across undergraduate medical education.
- UME–Pre-clerkship and Clerkship: Educational delivery within the pre-clerkship and clerkship phases of undergraduate medical education.
- UME-GME Continuum: Educational strategies that support progression from undergraduate medical education into residency training.
- Graduate Medical Education: Educational design, administration, and improvement within residency and fellowship programs.
- OME Design and Innovation: System-level design, integration, and evaluation across the continuum of osteopathic medical education.
To help organize content, we’ve outlined a set of broad themes. Some topics may align with more than one theme. Please select the one that best fits your presentation. We encourage you to interpret these themes broadly and welcome diverse perspectives and innovative approaches.
Presentation Formats
- Interactive pre-conference workshop (3.5 hours or 7.5 hours) In-depth, skills-based sessions designed for active learning and practice before the main conference.
- Interactive in-conference workshop (90 minutes, including Q&A) Hands-on, discussion-driven sessions held during the main conference, ideal for engaging small groups. Priority will be given to submissions that include presenters from multiple COMs or institutions.
- Expert panel/symposium (60 minutes, including Q&A) Multiple presenters sharing complementary perspectives on a focused topic through moderated discussion, collaborative presentation or panel exchange. Priority will be given to submissions that include presenters from multiple COMs or institutions.
- Brief lecture or panel (30 minutes, including Q&A) Focused presentations or panel discussions highlighting practical practices, emerging ideas, research findings, or institutional approaches.
- Rapid insight (Approximately 20 minutes) Concise, high-impact presentations that highlight focused findings, innovative practices, or key takeaways in an efficient and engaging format.
- Poster Visual presentations featured during dedicated poster sessions that encourage informal discussion, networking, and scholarly exchange.
- Research posters are eligible for awards. If accepted to the conference, presenters will be invited to opt for award consideration.
- As you prepare your abstract, think ahead to the possibility of poster award recognition. Our most distinguished honor—the President’s Osteopathic Tenets Research Poster Award—is open to all presenters whose work exemplifies or advances the values and principles of osteopathic medicine.
Research Abstracts
Research abstracts are grounded in scientific theory and build upon or apply previous research. They aim to generate general knowledge, something that can be applied beyond a single institution, and are often designed with the intent to publish or disseminate findings. Abstracts based on preliminary data are acceptable, provided the abstract clearly identifies the data as preliminary.
Submit a Research Abstract if you have:
- Conducted innovative research valuable to the osteopathic medical community;
- Researched or evaluated educational practices with results that can be applied to a college of osteopathic medicine or postgraduate training program; or
- Undertaken scholarly work aligned with the conference themes.
Programmatic Innovation Abstracts
Programmatic Innovations abstracts describe evaluated changes to educational practices in osteopathic medical education that lead to improved outcomes or meaningful insights. These may involve new interventions, adaptations to existing approaches, or solutions to persistent challenges. While not typically intended for publication, these evaluations provide evidence for decision-making and contribute to improvements in teaching, learning, and program effectiveness.
Submit a Programmatic Innovation Abstract if you have:
- Developed a novel osteopathic medical education program;
- Identified or overcome obstacles in the training of future osteopathic physicians; or
- Gained meaningful insight into learners’ progress along the continuum of osteopathic medical education.
Workshop Sessions
Workshops are interactive sessions offering hands-on experience and practical skills on specific topics. They include activities, discussions and exercises led by experts to foster in-depth learning and engagement. At Educating Leaders, we typically host 3-6 pre-conference workshops and 1-2 in-conference workshops.
Poster Awards & Information
Our Poster Session includes both research and non-research abstracts. Posters presenters may opt-in to the AACOM Poster Awards during the abstract submission process. Accepted posters will be presented during a one-hour poster walk and be accessible on our virtual platform.
To submit a poster proposal, use either Research or Programmatic Innovation abstract.
Is there a fee to submit
an abstract?
No, if your abstract is accepted, presenters must register for the conference, for which there is a fee.
Who is eligible to submit
abstracts for Educating
Leaders?
Abstracts are welcome from individuals and organizations engaged in osteopathic medical education whose work aligns with the conference audience and themes. Commercial or promotional presentations are not appropriate. Organizations interested in sponsorship or exhibiting should contact sponsorship@aacom.org for additional information.
What types of abstracts are appropriate for Educating Leaders?
Educating Leaders is a conference focused on osteopathic medical education. Appropriate abstracts include educational research, programmatic innovation, teaching and learning, curriculum, assessment, faculty development, leadership, clinical education, student experience, student and faculty success and well-being, and other topics that advance medical education. Traditional clinical case reports and projects without a clear medical education focus are generally not appropriate.
Where can I find more
detail on the difference
between a Research abstract and a Programmatic Innovation abstract, and the complete details for each?
We encourage you to download the abstract guides before you begin your submission. The guides explain the differences between Research and Programmatic Innovation abstracts, identify the intended audience and themes, and outline the submission requirements for each abstract type. These guides are available to view and/or print:
- Research abstract printable guide
- Programmatic Innovation abstract printable guide
- Detailed overview on Tracks, Themes & Types
Does my project need to be completely new to be considered innovative?
No. Innovation may include creating something new, adapting an existing approach to a different setting, or improving an established practice to address a current challenge. Review the Programmatic Innovation Abstract Guide for examples and submission expectations.
When I copy and paste text from MS Word into the abstract portal, unwanted text appears. What can I do?
MS Word often includes formatting code in the copy process. To resolve, paste as plain text using Ctrl+Shift+V.
Will my abstract be published? Can I submit for publication after I present?
Presenting at Educating Leaders does not prevent you from submitting a manuscript based on your poster or presentation to a journal.
AACOM does not have a journal, and Educating Leaders is not a scientific meeting, so conference abstracts are not published annually.
If your abstract is accepted, you can list this on your CV as a peer-reviewed poster or presentation. Abstracts are peer-reviewed by reviewers who are Fellows of the National Academy of Osteopathic Medical Educators and/or the Assembly of Osteopathic Graduate Medical Educators.
Can projects with only preliminary data be submitted as an abstract?
Yes. If your project includes preliminary data, indicate this in the brief description. In the Results section, describe the data available at the time of submission and, if applicable, when additional or final results are expected before the conference.
How do I request a mentor to review my abstract?
Students should ask their research mentor for assistance. All other submitters may request a review from a Fellow of the National Academy of Osteopathic Medical Educators (NAOME) through the mentor review deadline listed in the Call for Abstracts timeline.
Will CME be available?
Yes. Information about continuing education credit will be available closer to the conference.
More questions?
Please contact us at annualconf@aacom.org