Submission Guidelines

IJMS World Conference of Medical Student Research (WCMSR)

We hope the following document will help you to have a more comprehensive understanding of the organization of the IJMS World Conference of Medical Student Research (WCMSR), which will be held online on October 25th, 2025.

We strongly believe that this new conference will further promote the integration of medical students and young physicians in the medical research field. We also hope that this event can help create contacts, interest, and motivation in coming together, joining international projects, and continuing the search for a better and more inclusive scientific society.

 

Table of Contents

 

 

1. General Information to Participate

Only abstracts adherent to the following rules are eligible to be accepted by the IJMS Conference Team.

The IJMS Conference Team will screen all submitted abstracts according to these rules and reserves the right to decline or ask for further clarification and/or documentation if the submitted file is missing clear information.

If you have any doubts, please do not hesitate to contact the IJMS Conference Team for clarifications at conference@ijms.info.

Abstracts Requirements

  • Abstracts must be submitted via the Journal website, using the Abstract Template and completing all required fields on both the website and the template.
    • Make sure to select the correct section, 'Abstracts of the WCMSR,' when submitting.
      • Failure to submit to the correct section could lead to a misallocation of the abstract and a declined submission.
  • Submitted abstracts must not have been previously published in any other scientific journal.
    • Suppose this is not the case, but you believe the abstract could still be considered for the IJMS WCMSR. In that case, you must provide a comprehensive description of the situation and an explanation by sending an email to conference@ijms.info.
  • A submission fee is required for each submitted abstract. You can pay here: IJMS PayPal. Please keep a record of your transaction, as a copy (PDF or screenshot) must be uploaded as a supplementary file during submission.
  • The IJMS Conference Team will accept only original research, which includes:
    • Basic science studies
    • Observational studies
      • Descriptive, such as case reports, case series, etc.
      • Analytical
    • Meta-analysis
    • Experimental and quasi-experimental studies (trials, educational interventions, etc.)
  • Each abstract for original research should be structured:
    • For original research use: Background, Aim, Methods, Results, Conclusion.
    • For case reports use: Background, Case, Conclusion.
  • Submitted abstracts must meet the following requirements:
    • A maximum of 500 words.
    • A minimum of three keywords and a maximum of five must be indicated. Source: MeSH-NLM.
    • A figure or a table (either of those and only 1).
    • No references.
  • In the case of inconsistencies in the Submission Form, we will contact the corresponding author via email to take the necessary corrective measures.
  • The IJMS Conference Team does not assume the responsibility to correct any grammar, semantic, and/or graphic errors. For this reason, authors are responsible for the presence of errors in abstracts, extended texts, final presentations, and conference proceedings.
  • The IJMS do not accept any form of plagiarism. Before submitting your work, be aware that plagiarism is a major cause of abstract decline.

Authors Requirements

  • All authors must follow the criteria for authorship described by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).
  • Each author must create and link their Open Researcher and Collaborator Identifier (ORCID) with their metadata in the Submission Form.
  • At least one of the authors must be a current medical student at any medical university in the world or a physician within the first three years of their graduation.
  • Members of the IJMS Conference Team or IJMS Executive Committee are advised not to participate as authors in the Conference. However, they are not banned from participation and special precautions will be placed when assigning evaluators to avoid conflicts of interest.
    • IJMS Conference Team members will not be eligible for awards.
  • The maximum number of authors for each abstract is six (6). If your work has involved more than six researchers, please contact the IJMS Conference Team specifying the roles assumed by each author during the research. Exceptions will be made only if there is clear evidence of the involvement of each author.
  • Researchers must nominate a corresponding author, who will be in charge of communicating with the IJMS Conference Team throughout the process. Their email address must be written in the Submission Form, and the corresponding author must be active in responding to any time-sensitive communication.
    • To note, the corresponding author can be different from the researcher who will present the abstract (if selected) during the Conference.
    • Modification of the corresponding author’s contact information or a change of the corresponding author must be limited at a minimum, and, if this cannot be avoided, the new contact information must be written to the IJMS Conference Team as soon as possible.
  • One of the authors must be willing to present the abstract during the IJMS WCMSR. The presenting author can be different from the corresponding author. According to its main focus, the IJMS Conference Team strongly suggests having a student/early-career scientist present, but this is not a strict requirement. However, projects not presented by a student/early-career scientist will not be considered for awards.

Conference Regulations

  • The IJMS Conference Team reserves the right to decline abstracts that do not comply with the established rules. However, each case will be carefully studied, always seeking to act fairly.
  • The IJMS Conference Team reserves the right to make partial and minor modifications to the established rules. If the changes are approved, they will be communicated in a timely manner to the corresponding author, giving them a reasonable amount of time to comply with the new regulation.

2. Accepted Areas of Research

Following the focus and scope of the IJMS, the IJMS Conference Team is open to the following areas of research:

  • Clinical medicine and its subspecialties;
  • Surgery and its subspecialties;
  • Public health and epidemiology;
  • Other unclassified medical specialties;
  • Basic science in medicine;
  • Research in the area of medical education.

The following research designs are accepted:

  • Meta-analysis
  • Interventional studies (Experiments, Randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, field studies, educational interventions, quasi-experimental designs)
  • Observational studies (case series, cross-sectional, case-control, cohort, ecological studies, surveys)
  • Case reports

The following areas of research/designs will not be accepted:

  • Narrative reviews and Systematic reviews;
  • Study protocols;
  • Research in areas not previously specified.

Please, do not hesitate to contact the IJMS Conference Team for any clarifications about the accepted areas of research at conference@ijms.info.

3. Submission Process

Before proceeding to submit your abstract, please be sure to:

  • Download and fill the abstract submission template: Here;
  • Have all required data to complete the submission process, as incomplete submission will not be considered;
  • Satisfy all abstracts and author requirements.

Submission period:

  • Opens: May 1st, 2025
  • Closes: August 31th, 2025
  • Results of submission: September 28th, 2025
  • Conference: October 25th, 2025

Submission Steps to be Completed by the Corresponding Author

  • All submissions will be handled using the IJMS website. As submission type select Abstracts of the WCMSR. Complete all the required data fields.
    • Failure to select "Abstracts of the WCMSR" as the submission type will result in delays and may lead to a rejection.
  • A member of the IJMS Conference Team will contact you within five working days with one of the following communications:
    • Confirmation of completed submission: All required material has been correctly submitted. In the email, you will receive the link to a website where you can find information about the status of your submission.
    • Request for continuation of submission: Some of the submitted data/documents are not correct and/or lack important information. The staff will specify in the email what is required to complete the submission. Please make sure to check your email in the days following the submission, since this will accelerate your abstract revision.

After having finalized your submission, you can always reach the IJMS Conference Team by writing to conference@ijms.info. In doing so always specify the number of your submission (four last digits of the submission URL).

Submission fee

To promote equitable participation in the IJMS World Conference of Medical Student Research (WCMSR), we have structured the abstract submission fees according to the World Bank's country income classifications. This approach ensures that fees are proportionate to the economic contexts of participants' countries.*

World Bank Country Income Classifications:

The World Bank classifies countries into four income groups based on Gross National Income (GNI) per capita:

  • Low-Income Countries (LICs): GNI per capita of $1,145 or less.
  • Lower-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): GNI per capita between $1,146 and $4,515.
  • Upper-Middle-Income Countries (UMICs): GNI per capita between $4,516 and $14,005.
  • High-Income Countries (HICs): GNI per capita above $14,005.

For a detailed list of countries in each category, please refer to the World Bank's official classifications.

Abstract Submission Fees:

The submission fees for abstracts are tiered as follows:

  • Low-Income Countries (LICs): $10
  • Lower-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): $20
  • Upper-Middle-Income Countries (UMICs): $30
  • High-Income Countries (HICs): $40

Payment Instructions:

Please pay the applicable fee through IJMS PayPal. Ensure you keep a record of your transaction, as a copy (PDF or screenshot) must be uploaded as a supplementary file during the abstract submission process.

By aligning our fee structure with global economic indicators, we aim to foster inclusivity and support medical student researchers worldwide.

*Note: The fee may be waived or reduced upon request if authors provide a justifiable reason. Additionally, IJMS Student Editors are eligible for a 50% fee reduction.

 

4. Selection Process

The following are the steps followed during the selection process:

  • Following abstract submission, one of the abstract managers will check for the presence of all required information.
    • If the submission is incomplete, unclear, or contains an error, the abstract manager will contact the corresponding author in order to complete the submission.
    • If the submission is complete, the abstract manager will send confirmation to the corresponding author. The abstract will then move to the screening process.
  • The standardized screening process aims to check if the submitted abstract is in line with the present regulations and if the international guidelines on medical research have been followed.
    • If the abstract follows all the primary requirements, the abstract manager will assess it for plagiarism. If the assessment is negative, the abstract will be assigned to editors for review.
    • If the abstract does not follow all the primary requirements or contains plagiarism, the abstract manager can decide whether to address the problems with the corresponding author or to decline the submission, according to the severity of the missing primary requirements.
      • For example: if there is no medical student/early-career scientist among the authors, the abstract will be declined; if the authors did not follow the indication for the text, the abstract will be sent back to the authors asking for a revision.
    • Once the screening process has been concluded, two IJMS Student Editors and one Junior Student Editors will review the submitted abstract. They will use a second checklist to evaluate the quality of the research, and they will score the abstract as follows:
      • A maximum of 25 points can be obtained by each abstract
        • 5 points for the Originality of the research
        • 5 points for the Quality of the collected/reviewed data
        • 5 points for the standard of the Methods used
        • 5 points for the Clarity in language and explanation, especially of the conclusions
        • 5 points for the Impact that the research can have within the local/international scientific society
    • When the abstract manager receives the evaluation by Student Editors, the final score will be communicated to the Scientific Coordinator and then proceed as follows:
        • Sort studies: Arrange studies based on the average score and country/region of origin.
        • Select top studies: Choose the highest-scoring studies, ensuring representation from all participating countries/regions.
    • We reserve the right to select as many high-quality abstracts as the conference program allows (around 40).
    • Once the selection process has been concluded, the IJMS Conference Team will send a formal invitation to present the abstract at the IJMS WCMSR. The corresponding authors will have up to three days to answer, and to communicate the name of the presenting author.
    • If the authors accept to proceed, the abstract manager will then communicate the details of the conference program and the format for the presentation slides.
    • Every presenting author will be required to upload a video of the presentation. Submissions that were accepted and did not have a video a week before the Conference will be removed from the agenda. 
    • A week prior to the Conference (one Saturday before the Conference), there will be three (3) testing sessions of the streaming platform. Sessions will be held at 8 AM, 1 PM, and 5 PM EST. Speakers must attend one of the sessions. Failure to attend any of the testing sessions will mean an immediate removal from the agenda.
    • The last step is the final approval of the presentation slides and video by the IJMS Conference Team. Further information on this topic will be sent to the corresponding author.

5. Conference Program

  • The IJMS WCMSR will be held online on an interactive platform. Links to access will be shared with the corresponding authors, and on all IJMS communication channels/social media/website.
  • The presenting authors will be required to share their screen with the slide presentation. If the author has connectivity problems, the video of the presentation will be displayed to avoid delays.
  • The time allocated for each abstract presentation is seven (7) minutes in total. Authors can choose how to use the allocated time, but we suggest the following breakdown:
    • Who? Participant's Introduction (30 seconds)
    • What? Background and aim (1 minute and 30 seconds)
    • How? Methods of your research (2 minutes)
    • Why? Practical application of the results (2 minutes)
    • Thanks! Conclusions of the study (1 minute)
  • During each abstract presentation, a jury made by two to three international judges (external & internal to IJMS) will be present. At least one question will be made to the presenting author from the jury and/or the public (there is not a maximum number of questions, but be aware that the time for each presentation cannot go beyond 10 minutes). Each of the judges, anonymously and without conferring with each other, will score the presentation following a specific checklist:
    • Each judge could give a maximum of 20 points:
      • 5 points for the Overall research (quality, interest, etc.)
      • 5 points for the Clarity of speaker's presentation
      • 5 points for the Clarity of the presented material
      • 5 points for the Answers to questions
  • At the end of the IJMS WCMSR, the final ranking of abstract presentations will be announced. The ranking will be given by the sum of the judges’ votes. In case of a tie, the scores given by the two student editors in the selection process will be taken into account. If the tie persists, we will look at the scores received by the jury in Overall research, Clarity of speaker presentation, and Clarity of presented material in this order.
  • All corresponding authors will receive a certificate for their participation in the first IJMS WCMSR with all the names of the authors.

6. Awards

  • 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.
    • Award: 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for Best Research Presentation at the WCMSR Original Research based on judge score.
    • Award: 1st and 2nd place for Best Case Report presentation at the WCMSR based on judge scores.
    • Award: 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for Highest score during the abstract revision process for Original Research.
    • Award: 1st and 2nd place for Highest score during the abstract revision process for Case Reports.
    • Award: Most-liked by the public.
  • All the abstracts accepted for presentation in the WCMSR will be published in the Supplement of the Volume of the year of the Conference, in the second week of December, each with its own digital object identifier (DOI).

Notes

Please note that while the IJMS WCMSR is a project of IJMS, submission of abstracts does not guarantee the publication of an article.

You can have your submitted article participating in the Conference by submitting your abstract to the conference. 

The publication of the abstract in the Journal supplement is considered grey literature. It will not affect the future publication of your full article as both publications must have differences.

Contact Information

Email address: conference@ijms.info

Submitting site: https://ijms.info/IJMS/submission/wizard