2024 ACSC Abstract Program

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) is pleased to present the 2024 Annual Clinical and Scientific Conference (ACSC) Abstract Program. The 2024 ACSC will take place in Edmonton, Alberta from June 11-14. Click here to submit an abstract.

The NEW DEADLINE to submit an abstract is Monday, December 4, 2023 at 5:00 PM (ET).

On this page, you will find:

  • Who can submit an abstract
  • Why you should submit an abstract for the ACSC
  • Types of abstracts
  • Categories of abstracts
  • Terms and conditions for participation
  • Guidelines for oral and poster submissions
  • Guidelines for video submissions
  • Description of the abstract review process
  • The abstract scoring grid
  • Award categories

Who can submit an abstract?

Any member in good standing of the SOGC can submit up to three (3) abstracts in either English or French. All submissions are subject to a pre-selection reviewing process. If accepted, the presenter must be a member of the SOGC, register for the ACSC, and pay the associated registration fees. For more information on SOGC membership, visit sogc.org/membership.

Why submit an abstract for the ACSC?

Presentation of an abstract helps facilitate knowledge translation and dissemination of your research to clinicians and researchers, and may assist in developing future collaborations and research networks. The list of accepted abstracts with author names will be published in the JOGC and can be included on your curriculum vitae. You may also be eligible for an award.

Types of abstracts

Oral Poster Video Works-in-Progress (WIP)
(only accepted as posters)

- 10 minute PowerPoint presentation with 5 minute question/answer period.

Note: Only 25-30% of all oral submissions will receive a time slot with the remainder of accepted abstracts redirected to posters, if authors are willing

- available during a dedicated poster viewing time in the Exhibit hall within the program schedule
- opportunity for one-on-one discussion with delegates
- longer exposure than with oral/video presentations
- 3’ high x 6’ wide (max.) poster with graphs and tables

- best to choose when demonstrating techniques or procedures that are time-consuming or difficult to explain
- 8 minutes maximum length with titles and a spoken narrative

- must meet at least ONE of the following criteria:

  • Research concept/proposal
  • Part of an ongoing research study
  • Recruiting collaborators and/or research subjects
  • Preliminary results with significant clinical impact

- research studies and/or recruitment must be ongoing at the time of the ACSC
- preliminary research data will only be accepted if part of an ongoing, large prospective study or if it has significant clinical impact
- acceptable justification for not submitting a full abstract must be provided as part of the submission process

Categories of abstracts

Categories Subcategories Permissible submitters
OBS General obstetrics, maternal fetal medicine, international women’s health, paediatric/adolescent obstetrics, patient safety MD, RN/NP, RM, Masters, PhD
(does NOT include residents, healthcare students, or undergraduate/graduate/postgraduate students – see below for “Resident” and “Student” categories)
GYN General gynaecology, reproductive endocrinology and infertility, oncology, international women’s health, urogynaecology, paediatric/adolescent gynaecology, patient safety MD, RN/NP, RM, Masters, PhD
(does NOT include residents, healthcare students, or undergraduate/graduate/postgraduate students – see below for “Resident” and “Student” categories)
OBS/GYN No subcategories MD, RN/NP, RM, Masters, PhD
(does NOT include residents, healthcare students, or undergraduate/graduate/postgraduate students – see below for “Resident” and “Student” categories)
Education No subcategories MD, RN/NP, RM, Masters, PhD
(does NOT include residents, healthcare students, or undergraduate/graduate/postgraduate students – see below for “Resident” and “Student” categories)
OBS-Resident No subcategories Residents
NOTE: this category is eligible for a Best of Three Abstract award
GYN-Resident No subcategories Residents
NOTE: this category is eligible for a Best of Three Abstract award
Student General obstetrics, general gynaecology Healthcare, undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate or Postdoctoral fellow
NOTE: this category is eligible for a Best of Three Abstract award

Terms and conditions for participation

NEW DEADLINE: Submit a completed application form online by 5:00 PM (ET) on Friday, November 24, 2023.

  • All submissions must be made online using the abstract submission portal found here ; faxed, emailed and mailed abstract submissions will NOT be accepted;
  • More than one abstract may be submitted per author, but no principal/presenting author may submit more than three (3) abstracts;
  • The principal/presenting author must be a member in good standing of the SOGC at the time of ACSC (not a member? Click here);
  • All abstracts submitted for oral, poster, or video presentation are subject to an anonymous peer-review process (described below);
  • Abstracts can be submitted and/or presented in either English or French;
  • If accepted, abstract presenters must register for the ACSC and pay the appropriate registration fees by 5:00 PM (ET) on Friday, May 3, 2024

Guidelines for oral and poster submissions

  • Your oral or poster abstract submission should be a maximum of 250 words (not including the Title and Authors);
  • Abstracts must NOT include any Figures or Tables;
  • Abstracts accepted for presentation will be published in the May 2024 issue of the JOGC;
  • The JOGC abstract supplement will be reproduced directly from the electronic abstracts, therefore, please ensure your submission is grammatically correct with no spelling errors and formatted using the headings below. It is not possible to modify abstract content or change authorship after abstract submission closes;
  • Studies must have been approved (or exempt from review) by a research ethics board by the time of presentation.

Oral and poster abstract submission format:

  • Title: should be brief and clearly indicate the nature of the presentation;
  • Objective(s): state the study objective(s) in a concise manner;
  • Methods: briefly describe the study design and process, where appropriate, indicate the type of location without naming the institution to facilitate anonymous/unbiased peer review (community hospital, tertiary care centre, outpatient setting, etc.). Specify the number and type of human or non-human subjects or material(s) being studied, the principal test(s) performed, and the type(s) of statistical analysis if appropriate;
  • Results: confirm or refute the hypothesis, present data (supported by statistics if appropriate). NO TABLES OR FIGURES;
  • Conclusion(s): state the implications of the study results on patient management, the scientific or clinical significance of the work, the way in which the work can be used to teach students or patients, or how it advances scientific evidence.

Abstracts submitted as Works-in-Progress should follow the same submission format as above with an additional category:

  • WIP Justification: indicate how the work aligns with WIP criteria, detail the intended goal of the presentation, clearly state when the study is set to conclude and the anticipated status of the project and/or recruitment at the time of ACSC.

Guidelines for video submissions

  • The submission must comply with hospital protocols for video recording with patient permission or an equivalent protocol;
  • All video presentations must be edited and narrated using a voiceover audio track in either English or French;
  • Videos must not exceed 8 minutes including titles and the spoken narrative;
  • Video files should be uploaded directly through the online submission form. The video file size cannot exceed 250 MB and must be in the MP4 file format (.mp4);
  • The video cannot be promotional or commercial in nature;
  • In addition to the video, a written summary of no more than 150 words is required;

Abstract review process

Each abstract submission is anonymized and sent to three separate reviewers based on their field of expertise. The Best of Three Abstracts in the award categories listed below are selected based on the top reviewer scores. Abstracts scoring below 36 points will not be accepted for presentation.

Oral and video presentations that are accepted will be assigned time slots and accepted posters will be assigned poster boards. Oral abstracts that are not assigned oral presentation time slots may be redirected for poster presentation, if indicated on their submission form. Abstracts will be declined if their scores do not meet the cut off score based on time slot/poster board availability.

Research submitted as Works-in-Progress (WIP) are anonymously reviewed by at least three members of the Abstract Program Committee. WIP abstracts are not scored, rather committee members vote to accept or reject the abstract based on whether or not it meets the WIP criteria.

The decision of the Abstract Program Committee is final for all submitted abstracts.

Abstract scoring grid

NOTE: The total score is based on adding points from 3 reviewers’ scoring grids for a maximum of 60 points. No abstracts scoring below 36 points will be accepted.
(3 reviewers x 20 points per scoring grid = 60 points)

Design and Method
(Max. 5 points)		 Results and Analysis
(Max. 5 points)		 Relevance/Conclusions
(Max. 5 points)		 Overall Impression
(Max. 5 points)
ORAL and POSTER scoring grid

Was the purpose of the project clearly stated?

Was the study/research design appropriate to answer the study question?

Were the methods clearly described?

Were the sample size and/or controls sufficient, if appropriate?

Were the technologies used state-of-the-art?

Were clinically relevant outcomes considered?

Were the results given in sufficient detail to make inferences?

Was there some indication of the precision/significance of the results, if appropriate (CI, p value, sensitivity/specificity, correlation, etc.)?

Was the statistical analysis (if any) appropriate to the data?

Does the study/research add to our current understanding?

Were the conclusions stated clearly?

Were the conclusions appropriate to the data presented?

Did the conclusions provide an answer to the study question?

Is the study/research original and clinically relevant?

Is the study/research likely to generate further research?

Is the abstract well written and easy to follow?

VIDEO scoring grid

Was the video effective in achieving the intended purpose? Please compare video with Content Summary.

Did the video adhere to anatomic & surgical principles? (Surgical videos only)

Did the presentation follow a logical, easy to follow format?

If the technique is not new: did the video correctly correlate with the medical literature?

If the technique demonstrated is new: what is the potential scientific value of the video.

Was the presentation content innovative or creative?

What is the overall educational value?

Rate the overall quality of video content, sound, and visual precision

Award Categories

The Best of Three Abstracts in the award categories listed below are selected based on the top reviewer scores in each category. The Best of Three Abstracts will be judged onsite during the ACSC. The winners in each type/category that are eligible for an award are determined by the highest scores from the onsite judging results.

NOTE: This year the decision was made to reduce the number of Best of Three Abstracts categories to better showcase the top scoring abstract presentations. Only trainees (residents, health care students) will be eligible for an award. Please ensure that you select the appropriate abstract category at the time of submission.

Best oral presentation Best poster presentation

SOGC Members

  • Obstetrics
  • Gynaecology

SOGC Members

  • Obstetrics
  • Gynaecology