Oral Clinical Case Submission Guidelines

Deadline: January 10, 2025

Eligibility

• • Open to all third and fourth year osteopathic medical students affiliated with A.T. Still and Midwestern University.
  • All submissions must reflect work performed while a current medical student, resident, faculty or preceptor.

Submission Deadline

• • All required material must be submitted via submission form by midnight FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2025

Guidelines

• • One submission per person as lead author in this category.
  • Please read each question and/or element on the submission form carefully. Word limits and format expectations are provided.
  • Presenters must be a member of the AOMA (Free to all students). Please be sure your submission has been reviewed and approved by the faculty advisor listed on the IRB.

Case Content Requirements

Cases must include the following sections and content in the order provided below.

Section 1. Title Page

1. 1. 1. Title of Case
      2. Full name with professional designation. List of first, last, designation (DO, MD, PhD, MS-1, etc.). i.e. John Smith, DO. The information needs to be correct for publication. If not listed correctly it will be sent back for correction. Include institutional/medical facility addresses.
      3. Email address of all authors involved.

Section 2. Abstract

1. 1. 1. No more than 500 words.
      2. Please refrain from the use of abbreviations in abstract.
      3. Include:
         • • Introduction: An introduction about the case and/or the disease process.
           • Case Presentation: Brief details of the case presented.
           • Conclusion: A brief summary of the significance of the case report and the clinical impact.

Section 3. Introduction

1. 1. 1. A concise literature review of the topic with a focus on background of case.
      2. A brief summary of the disorder, its typical presentation and progression and why this case merits reporting.

Section 4. Case Presentation

1. 1. 1. All these segments covered in paragraph form, not in bulleted form:
         • • Chief complaint.
           • History of present illness.
           • Past medical and surgical history.
           • Medications and allergies.
           • Review of systems.
           • Physical examination, including vital signs and possible osteopathic findings.
           • Laboratory and ancillary data.
           • Diagnostic impression.
           • Plan/Disposition.
      2. Avoid including any information that could identify the patient.

Section 5. Discussion

1. 1. 1. Include adequate reference materials that demonstrate your clear understanding of the pathology, work-up, differential diagnosis and treatment.
      2. Explore possible osteopathic findings / somatic dysfunction relevant to the case as well as potential osteopathic diagnosis and treatments that could be involved with the disease/disorder.
      3. Include a brief summary at the end of the discussion section reviewing the main conclusions of the case report as well as the importance and relevance of the case.

Section 6. Acknowledgments/Disclosures

1. 1. 1. Acknowledge and disclose anyone who significantly aided in the process of conception, design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data, or who was involved in drafting or revising of this clinical case.

Section 7. References

1. 1. 1. Must be included in standard scientific format.
      2. Must have at least one reference from an osteopathic source.
      3. All references to be in the most recent format described in the AMA Manual. URLs to online publications can also to be included (if examples needed, please review with principal investigator (PI).

Section 8. Graphic Elements

1. 1. 1. All tables, images, graphs, and figures to be numbered and cited sequentially in the text.
      2. Each graphic element has to be given a separate page and labeled properly with its corresponding description.
      3. All patient information must be removed from or blocked out of graphic elements.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

• • ALL entries are required to be approved by your respective Institutional Review Board (IRB).
  • A letter indicating approval MUST be included with submission.
  • If project is IRB exempt, a letter from the sponsoring institution’s IRB confirming exemption MUST be included with your submission.
  • ENTRIES RECEIVED WITHOUT CONFIRMATION OF IRB APPROVAL OR EXEMPTION WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY REJECTED.

Acceptance or Rejection

• • Authors will be notified of acceptance or rejection by MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2025.
  • Those cases not accepted for presentation MAY BE eligible to be submitted as a poster. The case and poster committee will determine this and advise of acceptance or rejection.

Oral Case Presentations

• • The top three students will be asked to present their case in a 20-minute oral presentation of their case during the AOMA 103rd Annual Convention, SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 2025 (time to be determined). You will present at Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (AZCOM) at Midwestern University – 19555 N 59th Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85308.
  • The Principal Investigator (PI) (faculty/preceptor/attending physician) associated with the case will have the opportunity to be present to introduce and help support the student during their presentation.
  • You will be notified of the results of the Clinical Case Forum FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2025.
  • The winner will be presented with an award.
  • The top three cases’ abstracts will be displayed on the AOMA website unless the author(s) specifies otherwise.

Judging

• • AOMA’s Professional Education Committee will review all submissions.
  • Evaluations are made on a numerical scale and judged on the following criteria:
    • Case format
    • Overall writing mechanics
    • Presentation style
    • Discussion
    • Completeness of the research/reference materials.

Contact Information/Help

• • If you have futher questions, contact Matt Helms, AOMA Executive Director, at submissions@azosteo.org

First Place
Henry Jeon, OMS-III (AZCOM)
Advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma in Setting of Pembrolizumab Therapy for Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Second Place
Whitley Figge, OMS-III (AT Still)
Variations on a Theme – Pure Sensory Strokes

Third Place
Ritika Gupta, OMS-III (AZCOM)
Beyond the Scalpel: Exploring Mindfulness Approaches and Narrative Inquiry for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome