General Competition Information

General Rules and Requirements for Participation

1. Entrants must be members in the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP) at either the Student, Resident, Associate, or Active levels.
2. All electronic submissions must be submitted online by the applicable deadline. Late entries will not be accepted.
3. All protected health information must be eliminated in compliance with Federal laws prior to submission. Violation of patient confidentiality by failure to de-identify the submitted information is grounds for disqualification.
4. Research submitted to FOEM competitions must be in the designated format for the specific competition. Applicants are not allowed to submit the same project for multiple competitions.
5. Files submitted to accompany applications must be in one of the following formats:
   • An unprotected Microsoft® Word® 2016-2023 binary (.doc) or XML (.docx) file for all documents.
   • An unprotected Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation binary (.ppt) or XML (.pptx) file for all presentations.
   • Graphics (x-rays, CT/ MRI/ ultrasound, photographs) are to be optimized for display at 1920 x 1080 pixels and a resolution of 300 dpi. Acceptable file formats include Joint Photographic Experts Group (.jpg or .jpeg), Portable Network Graphics (.png). Videos must be in Windows Media Video (.wmv) or MPEG-4 Part 14 (.mp4).
   • Audio files must be in Windows Media Audio (.wma) or MPEG-1/ MPEG-2 Audio Layer III (.mp3).
   • Graphics, audio files, and video files must be included as separate files even if embedded into a presentation.
6. Presentations must use Arial 26 point or larger font and contrasting text/ background colors.
7. Abstracts must be no more than 500 words.
8. References must be submitted in a separate document in format consistent with the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) in their Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7250)
9. Programs disqualified from competitions for unethical behavior, including but not limited to plagiarism or academic dishonesty, may be banned from future competitions for a period of time to be determined by the officers of FOEM.
10. Each applicant or participant must provide a valid phone number and email address for communication. Please note that business or school email systems may block outside messages, so we recommend using a personal email address that will remain active in the foreseeable future.

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Spring Seminar Competitions

Case Study Poster Competition

The FOEM Foundation’s Case Study Poster Competition is scheduled annually during the Spring Seminar of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP). The competition is open to all emergency medicine professionals.

Competition Format

Accepted Posters will be placed on digital display for a specific time prior to the beginning of the competition. During this time, conference participants will be allowed to view the poster prior to the presentation period.

Each presenter will be assigned a fifteen (15) minute time frame in which they will present their poster to an audience of physicians and their peers. Posters will be digitally displayed in an interactive forum, which may feature either simultaneous or sequential presentations depending on the session format. Presenters are expected to present their poster and answer questions regarding the case to those in attendance.

Competition Requirements

All entries must be submitted on the designated form provided below by the deadline of Saturday, March 21, 2026, at 11:59PM CT. Entries received after this date will not be accepted. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status within five (5) business days of the submission deadline. If you have not received an email by that time, please contact ACOEP at  or (331) 248-7799.

Accepted applicants will receive an initial email containing instructions for uploading their poster, final submission due dates, and a general timeframe for when they will present. Specific presentation times will be provided in a follow-up email, typically distributed within two (2) weeks of the competition date. Applicants who are not accepted will be notified via email.

Case Report Format

Any submission that does not follow the formatting or submission requirements will not be considered for acceptance in the competition.

Formatting: All manuscript documents must be submitted as a single Microsoft Word document. Text must be in 12-point Times New Roman font. The abstract and manuscript must be double-spaced and include continuous line numbering throughout the document in the left-hand margin. All footnote numbering must be in superscript format (Ctrl shift +) with the number following punctuation. Headings for each portion of the case report should include: ABSTRACT, INTRODUCTION, CASE REPORT, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, and REFERENCES. These headers must be bolded and capitalized. The entire manuscript must be 1750 words or less (excluding the abstract, legends and references).

Cover Letter: Should be addressed to FOEM board and be written by the presenter of the case report. The cover letter should include: a brief statement of justification for inclusion in the competition, a statement on conflicts of interest, address and complete contact information of the presenter and any grants received in conjunction with the project.

Title Page: Should include the title of the presentation (100 characters or less), all authors with corresponding titles, institutions, departments, city, state and contact emails, word count and clearly identifies who is the corresponding/presenting author.

IRB Documentation: Evidence of IRB approval, institutional policy or signed attestation by the corresponding author in the cover letter that institution does not require IRB approval for case reports and images.

Abstract: Should be in narrative form and is limited to 350 words or less. The abstract should provide a brief overview of the manuscript and be submitted as its own separate page. The abstract should contain the following components: INTRODUCTION, CASE REPORT, CONCLUSION. The conclusion should read like a discussion and no references should be included in the abstract.

Introduction: Describe the context of the case and explain its relevance and importance. Describe whether the case is unique. If not, does the case have an unusual diagnosis, prognosis, therapy or harm? Is the case an unusual presentation of a common condition? Or an unusual complication of a disease or management? Describe the instructive or teaching points that add value to this case. Does it demonstrate a cost-effective approach to management or alternative diagnostic/treatment strategy? Does it increase awareness of a rare condition?

Case Report: The case should be reported in the usual case presentation sequence. The participant should describe the history of present illness, physical examination, medical investigations (laboratory values with reference ranges, radiographic images etc.), emergency department treatments and the patient’s outcome.

Discussion: Report a literature review of the current diagnosis. Include when applicable the prevalence, pathophysiology, symptomology, diagnostic strategies and treatments. These should include references from the literature when available.

Conclusion: Provide a summary of the diagnosis and its importance to emergency medicine.

References: Must be listed in the order that they appear in the text. References must follow the American Medical Association (AMA) Citation Style Guide except for the following: List up to three authors before using et al; delete spaces between publication year, volume, issue, and page numbers; and remove the DOI from all references. Journal names must also be abbreviated and italicized.

Images: All images must be submitted on a separate page, de-identified, and include contrasting black or white arrows clearly indicating key findings. Each marker must be referenced in the corresponding legend.

Poster Format

Posters must be supplied as a one-slide PowerPoint presentation in widescreen (16:9) orientation to ACOEP staff prior to the conference.  No physical posters should be printed or transported, as all competitions are 100% digital. The specific deadline for poster submission will be included in the acceptance email.

 Apply Here 

New Innovations in Emergency Medicine Competition

The New Innovations in Emergency Medicine Poster Competition is scheduled annually during the Spring Seminar of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP). The competition is open to all emergency medicine professionals. This competition allows residents and faculty at current emergency medicine residencies to feature educational innovations they have created and use at their residency site. This may include simulation, EM education, journal club, applicant evaluation, medical student education, and more.

Competition Format

Each presenter will be assigned a time frame in which they will present their poster to an audience of physicians and peers. Posters will be digitally presented in a lecture hall format, with each presenter allocated a total of ten (10) minutes for the presentation. 

Competition Requirements

All entries must be submitted using the designated form provided below by the deadline of Saturday, March 21, 2026, at 11:59PM CT. Entries received after this date will not be accepted.

Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status within five (5) business days of the submission deadline. If you have not received an email by that time, please contact ACOEP at or (331) 248-7799.

Accepted applicants will receive an initial email containing instructions for uploading their poster, final submission due dates, and a general timeframe for when they will present. Specific presentation times will be provided in a follow-up email, typically distributed within two (2) weeks of the competition date. Applicants who are not accepted will be notified via email.

Abstract Format

Abstracts must be submitted in a Microsoft Word document, double-spaced, with text in 12-point Times New Roman font. Headings for each section of the abstract should include BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVE, METHODS, RESULTS, and CONCLUSION. The total length of the abstract should not exceed 500 words. The title, headers, authors, and affiliations will not be included in the final word count. Below are guidelines for each section.

TITLE: Should be less than 15 words and must not include any abbreviations.

AFFILIATIONS: List all authors as you would like them to appear if the abstract were published in a journal.

BACKGROUND: Provide two to three sentences outlining the importance of the project, referencing relevant prior literature. For instance, “Evidence based medicine and lifelong learning are essential to emergency medicine. The Fresno test of Evidence Based Medicine, is a validated tool used to assesses a learner’s knowledge of evidence-based medicine”.

OBJECTIVE: State the primary goal or endpoint of the innovation. For instance, “The primary objective of the study was to determine if teaching evidence-based medicine through a systematic approach at journal club increased learner’s scores on the Fresno test”.

METHODS: Detail how the innovation was implemented at the residency site, including study design, timeframe, and data collection methods. For example, “Following IRB approval, a before and after study was completed over the course of the academic year 2018. The Fresno test was given to all residents at the beginning of the academic year during the first journal club. Subsequently, each journal club then specifically taught key elements that were tested on the Fresno test each month. At the end of the academic year, the Fresno test was again given to the residents for completion. One study author graded all tests. Descriptive statistics and the t-test were used to determine if any change was noted over time".

RESULTS: Summarize findings and include basic descriptive statistics when applicable. For instance, “A total of 18 residents completed the Fresno test with 75% being male. Prior to intervention, overall mean performance on the Fresno test was 38% and following intervention was 77% (p<0.05)”.

CONCLUSION: Summarize the primary outcomes and relate them directly to the stated objective. For instance, “Following directed evidence-based teaching, residents were found to statistically increase their scores on the Fresno test”.

Poster Format

Posters must be supplied as a one-slide PowerPoint presentation in widescreen (16:9) orientation to ACOEP staff prior to the conference.  No physical posters should be printed or transported, as all competitions are 100% digital. The specific deadline for poster submission will be included in the acceptance email.

 Apply Here 

Scientific Assembly Competitions

Clinical Pathological Case Competition

The Foundation’s Clinical Pathological Case (CPC) Competition is scheduled during the ACOEP’s Scientific Assembly held annually during the early fall. This fun, challenging and spirited competition draws a large crowd from academia and the general population of the Assembly by pitting residents against program faculty as difficult cases presented by residents and solved by faculty discussants.

1. Research entries are limited to one paper per author. Papers with multiple resident or fellow authors may be submitted; however, all prizes will be split between authors and only one author will be identified as the presenting author.
2. To participate, residency or fellowship programs meeting criteria described in the General Guidelines must submit one complete application which includes the names of both a resident/fellow and faculty member who will represent the program, the case, and the solution, by the submission deadline of July 19, 2025.
3. Faculty Discussants will receive a case by July 22, 2025, selected at random, to solve by the deadline of August 21, 2025.
4. The Faculty Discussant will be required to prepare a differential diagnosis and speculate on the final diagnosis and disposition of the case. He or she will have 30 days to solve the case, prepare the required PowerPoint presentation and submit the final presentation to the Foundation by the deadline of August 21, 2025.
5. Winning authors will be notified by August 26, 2025 and will be required to attend the Competition personally, if unable to attend or find a substitute presenter, the award will be presented, however, monetary awards will be withheld.
6. Winning author(s) will be required to submit a presentation as described in the General Requirements by September 13, 2025. No changes will be accepted after that time.

Any institution found to withhold information necessary to solve the case at the time of submission or presented by the Resident Presenter that has not been made available to the Faculty Discussant will automatically be disqualified.

Scholarly Activity will be allocated to Faculty Discussants and will be acknowledged in a formal letter from the Foundation. The roles of the Resident Presenter, who must supply the case, and a Faculty Discussant, who will solve the case, are described below.

Resident Presenters’ Role

1. The named Resident or Fellow Presenter must meet the criteria described in the General Requirements Section.
2. Presenters must select a case from the current or recently completed academic year of training that was challenging and of interest to other emergency physicians. Presenters should have personal knowledge of the case and should be one in which they were involved. Examples of cases are the typical presentation of an unusual disease or an atypical presentation of a common disease. Cases that are impossible to diagnose without further information or studies not usually done in the Emergency Department will not be accepted.
3. Presenters must submit a complete patient history that has all patient identifiers removed; failure to remove patient identifiers immediately disqualifies the resident and institution. (See General Rules) Patient-related information should include all information available to the physician in the emergency room. All images and complete studies should be included if they were performed in the ED. Failure to remove all patient identifying information is grounds for disqualification. FOEM will blind the information about the residency before it is sent to the faculty discussant. The best cases present a collection of historical facts, physical findings, and test abnormalities which, when put together by an astute emergency physician in a logical manner, suggest a final diagnosis to the unusual case.

CPC Format

Resident Submission – Final Presentation Due Date July 19, 2025

Case reports must be submitted in Word© format, with a header bearing the name of the institution, and Resident Presenter in the upper right-hand portion of the header. Pages must also be numbered. The reports should provide the following information in this order:

Physical Findings, including complaint; history of present illness, history (medical, surgical, family); allergies; medications; review of systems; physical examination (including vital signs).

Tests Ordered, including all x-rays, EKGs, EEGs, CAT Scans, laboratory tests, and other diagnostic procedures ordered. All images for each study should be included.

Test Results, please do not interpret any tests or laboratory findings

Brief Discussion of the ED course of treatment, if helpful in solving the case; however, all information available to the emergency physician must be included

The solution to the case must be submitted on a separate page titled, Case Solution, as part of the Case Report. This must include all references written in a standard editorial format.

The Resident Presenter is required to present the submitted case report and final diagnosis.

Faculty Discussant – Final Presentation Due August 21, 2025

All physicians presenting as a Faculty Discussant must hold core faculty or faculty status in the residency or fellowship program that they are representing. Faculty Discussants will receive a case by July 22, 2025, selected at random, to solve by the deadline of August 21, 2025. The case will contain all information submitted by the presenting institution. Discussants should review the case as submitted to determine that all tests and results mentioned in the case have been submitted. It will be the responsibility of the Discussant to notify Foundation staff of missing items within ten days of receipt. The case will be sent directly to the address preference submitted on the application.

The Faculty Discussant will be required to prepare a differential diagnosis and speculate on the final diagnosis and disposition of the case. He or she will have 30 days to solve the case, prepare the required PowerPoint presentation and submit the final presentation to the Foundation by the deadline of August 21, 2025. Changes in the presentation received after that date will not be incorporated.

Presentation Format

Resident Presenters will be allocated five (5) minutes to present their case, without revealing the final diagnosis. Presentations may include a description of the history and physical examination, presenting findings, and tests ordered.

Faculty Discussants will be allocated fifteen (15) minutes to present their findings leading to the solution and speculated diagnosis of the case.

The Resident Presenter will return to the podium for a ten (10) minute presentation that will reveal the final diagnosis and disposition of the case.

Award

Resident Presenters and Faculty Discussants will be judged separately, identifying the top three presentations in each area. 

 Apply Here 

Oral Abstract Competition

The Foundation’s Oral Abstract Competition is scheduled annually during the Scientific Assembly of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians held in the fall.  The Competition is open to all emergency medicine professionals that are ACOEP members.

1. Oral abstract entries are limited to one abstract per author. Abstracts with multiple resident or fellow authors may be submitted; however, only one author will be identified as the presenting author.
2. Applications must be received by Saturday, July 26, 2025
3. Winning authors will be notified by Friday, August 15, 2025 and will be required to attend the Competition.
4. Winning author(s) will be required to submit a presentation as described in the General Requirements by Saturday, September 13, 2025.  No changes will be accepted after that time.

Abstract: This will provide the context for the study, its purpose, procedures utilized, main findings, and conclusions. It should highlight new and important outcomes of the study or observation.  All abstracts must reflect the accuracy of the research reported and be no more than 500 words in length.

Title – The title should concisely describe your research project. 

Authors – Include the author’s name, degree, and institutional affiliation.

Introduction/Background – Why is the topic you have selected a problem that needs to be addressed? What is missing from the field of study that your study is going to address? Provide a one-sentence summary of the rationale for the study question.

Objective(s) – What does this study intend to resolve? Provide a one-sentence description (eg, “To determine…,” “To establish…”) of the study’s primary objective. Authors may choose to include key secondary objectives.

Methods – A short paragraph discussing the design, setting, patients, and interventions (Refer to the descriptions below). This section describes how the study was carried out.

• Design – A statement of the study’s basic design (eg, randomized controlled trial, double-blind, cohort, survey, cost-effectiveness analysis). Note: Make sure you include in the design statement a notation that the research study was approved by the IRB (institutional review board)
• Setting – A one-sentence description of the clinical circumstances of the setting (eg, general community, primary care center, hospitalized care).
• Patients (or other participants) – A brief description of the key eligibility criteria of the study’s participants. The total number of the participants must be included and how many participants were included in each group of the study (ie study group(s), control group).
• Interventions—A brief description of any interventions administered. (e.g. OMM, medications, etc.)
• Main Outcome Measure(s) – A brief description of the study’s outcome measurements. (e.g. blood pressure, symptom scores, patient satisfaction scales)

Results – A brief summary of the main results along with declarations and explanations of any important findings. Authors should include the study’s relevant statistical information (e.g. confidence intervals, levels of statistical significance). Authors may include up to two tables with abstract submission.

Conclusion – How does this study add to the body of knowledge on the topic? Provide a brief summary of the study’s conclusions directly supported by the reported evidence. Authors may include clinical applications and any recommendations for additional study.

Tables: A total of two tables can be included with the submission.

Non-compliance with the above guidelines could result in either the submission being returned to the author for revision or rejection from the competition. The application and accompanying abstract will be evaluated for its pertinence to emergency medicine and validity. If accepted, the entrant will be notified by Friday, August 15, 2025 and be requested to submit a multi-slide PowerPoint presentation containing the following information by Saturday September 13, 2025.

Presentation Format

All presenters will need to submit a PowerPoint presentation no later than two weeks prior to the conference. Presenters will be allocated a total of fifteen (15) minutes for their presentation based on the following:

1. An introduction explaining the question, problem or treatment on which the research was based.
2. The investigative methods utilized.
3. Data, tables and figures validating and supporting the research findings.
4. Discussion of the research findings.
5. Limitations of the project
6. Conclusion
7. References.

Award

Resident Presenters and Faculty will be judged separately, identifying the top three presentations in each area. 

 Apply Here 

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