How to Make Most Out of SOT Annual Meeting as a Graduate Student

Attending the annual meeting is one of the important thing for a graduate student in Toxicology. With more than 6500 toxicologists attending the meeting from around the world, it can be overwhelming for students participating to learn about all the events especially if you are a first timer. Here are some helpful tips to follow if you are a student.

Before coming to the annual meeting:

Plan your activities through SOT app services or use the program booklet.

At the annual meeting:

Research:

• With more than 2800 presentations in a week, trying to read every poster falls under the same category as not trying to read any posters at all. Instead check the topics you are either working on or you are interested in. Try to gain as much insights as possible. Identify your weakness and plan to improve your weakness.
• Prepare an elevator speech: At the national meeting we may not get enough time with every person to talk about our research. So, prepare two sentences about what you are working on to spark an interesting conversation.
• Apply for all the awards relevant to your research work.

Network:

• Be prepared to don different hats: If you meet an undergraduate talk about what it is meant to be a graduate student and your average work day. Encourage the next generation students to pursue a career in toxicology. If you meet someone (mentor) working in a field you are interested in put on mentee hat and ask about various tasks they perform and how to reach there.
• Ask right people right questions: There is no point in asking an American about H1B visa system as most of them have no idea. Instead ask the same question to a person who has already obtained a H1B visa, ideally, from the same country as immigration rules differ from country to country.
• Invite people to your poster: Usually the people who are experienced will be so busy with the meetings that most of them will not even attend poster sessions or will attend a select few poster sessions. It is our responsibility as a student to invite people to our poster to receive feedback from many professionals. Receiving feedback is essential to understand/learn and thereby avoiding the common pitfalls in research.
• Be in your comfort zone and step out of comfort zone: Being in your comfort zone is important to feel safe and to open up more graciously and stepping out of your comfort zone is also important to gain more relationships and increase our network. It is important to do both whenever we feel comfortable.
• Volunteer. Get involved into a specialty section through volunteer activities. There are many volunteer opportunities available for graduate students.

1. Volunteer for a CE course.
2. Volunteer for an undergrad session or as a poster or platform chair.
3. Volunteer for #YouTox initiative.
4. Volunteer for a specialty section reception to help with the event.

The annual meeting is filled with events for graduate students:

1. Mixers: Graduate student mixer* on Sunday at 7:30 PM
2. SOT mentoring breakfast* Monday morning at 6:15 AM
3. Past Presidents’ 5K Fun Run/Walk* on Tuesday at 7:00 AM.
4. PDA hosts Career Exploration through Speed Informational Interviews* on Tuesday at 1:25 PM.
5. Tox Showdown on Tuesday at 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
6. PDA hosts Career Exploration through Speed Informational Interviews* on Tuesday at 1:25 PM.
7. GSLC offers chat with an expert program*
8. Many specialty sections will be conducting their own mentoring events.
9. Specialty section meetings and reception.
10. A complete list of events can be found here

*require prior registration and a ticket

Many other resources are available to graduate students for free like SOT job bank, mentor-match program, Informational webinars about career choices.

GSLC enewsletter is now available online

Miscellaneous:

• Although, some of these might seem too obvious, people often forget them so here they are:

1. Print your business cards.
2. Update your LinkedIn profile before getting to the meeting.
3. Dress professionally.
4. Always carry a book and pen (available at the meeting).

• Always attend the Plenary session—SOT carefully selects top professionals to give lectures on recent developments in the scientific field. This is the meeting you should not miss. The opening plenary session is on Monday at 8:00 AM and plenary keynote lecture is on Wednesday at 12:30 PM.
• Toxbooths: More than 330 Toxbooths will be present at this year annual meeting. Many will be offering candy and conducting games while some wants you to leave your information to enter a drawing. Attending a Toxbooth is a great way to know about the company and talk to some of the recruiters from the company.

I saved the best piece of advice for last: Have fun! Have fun learning something new, talking to students or mentors about research. Good things happen when you are having fun.

See you all in San Antonio. If you see me, come and say hi!! I look like the guy in my profile picture.

Note: I will keep updating this post till the annual meeting, if you think I missed something comment here and I will include it in this post.