ThinkLab ’09 Submission Guidelines

Thanks very much for your interest in submitting an educational proposal for ThinkLab ’09 to be held May 2 – 5, 2009 in Tampa, Florida. Before you begin the abstract submission process, please take a moment to review the educational updates for ThinkLab ’09. We are extremely excited by the redesign of the educational program for ThinkLab’09 and hope you, as presenters and attendees, like the improvements as well.
We think you will!

The deadline for "Poster Presentations Only" is Friday, April 3, 2009.

The Oral Presentation deadline is Friday, August 22, 2008

ThinkLab ’09 Educational Program Highlights

• In an effort to produce a cleaner, more streamlined meeting with fewer competing concurrent sessions, we are limiting the number of oral presentations to approximately 50 (a reduction of 35 from ThinkLab ’08). In short, we will have fewer oral presentations at ThinkLab '09 but we envision that the sessions we do hold will be extremely high-quality and in depth.

• To improve session consistency throughout the entire meeting, we are asking that all oral presentation proposals be designed to accommodate a two-hour lecture format, thus ensuring tremendous take home value for participants. We request that your proposals don’t “scratch the surface” of a particular topic. We ask that you really delve into the subject matter so participants gain real understanding of a particular issue and can directly apply that knowledge when they return to their labs. We believe the two-hour lecture format will allow you to accomplish this goal.

• We encourage presenters to submit cutting-edge, even controversial educational proposals that are forward thinking in nature. What are the issues and technological challenges that lab mangers will be facing five to ten years from now?

• We have added poster presentations to the ThinkLab ’09 educational curriculum. Posters will be evaluated onsite and awards will be presented to the winners! Detailed information on poster presentations logistics is available on the submission Web site.

• A new “Industry” category has been created in an effort to recognize the advancements that our industry partners have brought to the field of lab management, thus improving efficiency and safety in the lab environment. These types of improvements ensure a bright future for laboratory medicine and, most importantly, guarantee that patients are receiving high-quality and accurate medical care.

• We will ask all presenters to provide the attendees in their sessions with a handout that serves as a “checklist” that highlights a step-by-step “how-to” implementation strategy that a lab manager can follow in order to apply the major principles that were addressed in your lecture.

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