Sponsorship Opportunities

Friday: All Day Research Event and Evening Celebration

The Department of Surgery’s annual Collins Surgical Day’s goal is the promotion of surgical innovation that improves patient care. It is the opportunity to showcase resident research. It also celebrates surgical innovation and research success, through a review of achievements from our leading researchers.

• Collins Surgical Day is attended by >200 surgeons & residents. The specialties represented include cardiac surgery, general surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, thoracic surgery, urology & vascular surgery.

• Attendees are affiliated with the University of Ottawa and practice at The Ottawa Hospital (General, Civic & Riverside Campuses), the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (uOHI), the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) & Hôpital Montfort. They also work at clinics & hospitals across the Champlain Local Health Integration Network.

• Our innovation & research leaders from Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), the uOHI, and the CHEO Research Institute attend. We have representatives from the leading institutes at the University of Ottawa, including Centre for Neural Dynamics & the Brain - Mind Research Institute.

• Select alumni of the University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital from across Canada are also invited. We host internationally renowned visiting professors to deliver the plenary address.

Our sponsors have the opportunity to showcase their innovations to a diverse group of surgeons. 

Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact our departmental research staff for more information.

History

The annual residents’ research day for trainees in the University of Ottawa surgical programs, commenced in 1979.

In 1984, this memorable day become known as the Collins Surgical Day, named in honor of Dr. W. E. Collins, Emeritus Professor of Surgery and the first Coordinator of the Surgical Training Programs (1976-1984). His contributions to the University and to surgical education are remembered annually on this day. The Best Overall Research Presentation is named in his honor.

The Collins Day Best Translational Paper is named in the honor of Dr. John P. Collins on the occasion of his retirement in 2010.  At that time, Dr. John Collins, Division of Urology received a Lifetime Career Achievement Award from the Department of Surgery. He was Head of the Division of Urology, and then served as Director of the Department of Surgery Finance Committee for many years. His quiet resolve, class and wisdom imparted the Division of Urology with a style and cohesiveness. His contributions to the Department of Surgery have been invaluable

Goal

The Department of Surgery’s annual Collins Day has the goal of “promoting and sharing research and knowledge developed by residents in the department, a showcase of excellence”

Objectives

Upon completion of the presentations the participants will be able to:

• Discuss the findings of research developments and their applications

• Describe the implications of the research projects specific to their service

• Assess the challenges and advantages of project results

• Identify and explore recent development in surgical/medical research

• Discuss the findings of research developments and their implications of this research

• Describe at least three recent innovations in medical research relevant to them

• Describe new developments in surgical research

Visiting Professors

The honour of being the Collins Surgical Day Visiting Professor is extended to select leaders across all surgical specialties*. They actively participate in Collins Surgical Day by giving the plenary presentation, acting as an abstract reviewer, and assisting with the final selection of award winners.

*The divisional rotation cycle for visiting professor is Vascular Surgery (2025), Orthopaedic Surgery (2026), Division of Cardiac Surgery (2027), Neurosurgery (2028), General Surgery (2029), Plastic Surgery (2030), Thoracic Surgery (2031), Urology (2032).

Abstract Submission

• Abstracts are due April 1st annually. 

Oral (Podiums) Presentations

• Acceptance of the oral presentation slot must be promptly confirmed, or the slot will be forfeited.

• Oral presentations are 8 minutes long (allowing sufficient time for discussion and transition within a 12-minute slot).

• Slides must be sent in advance for pre-loading by the AV team. Check your letter of acceptance for details.

Lightning Oral / Electronic Poster Presentations

• Acceptance of the lightning oral / electronic poster presentation slot must be promptly confirmed, or the slot will be forfeited.

• Lightning orals / electronic poster presentations are 4 minutes long (allowing sufficient time for discussion and transition within a 6-minute slot).

• There are assigned times for the lightning orals / electronic poster presentations. Check the schedule.

• Lightning orals / electronic poster presentations may be a PowerPoint slide deck or a single PowerPoint slide, respectively. 

  • If doing a single PowerPoint slide, our recommended visual abstract format comes from the Annals of Surgery.

• Slides must be sent in advance for pre-loading by the AV team. Check your letter of acceptance for details.

Important notes:

1) Presenter contributions to the project: Authors will be asked to describe their contributions to the project (in free text form) upon submission.

• This information will be available to all reviewers (with their abstract).

• Any misrepresentation will result in a disqualification from the awards.

• The author contribution will also be part of the oral presentation, and should be included and mentioned as part of the poster presentation.

• Moderators and reviewers may ask presenters to further describe their roles in the project. The author contributions will be considered as part of the award review process.

2) Selection of expert reviewers: Members of the Research Committee and other faculty members engaged in research may be reviewers. 

3) Submission Limits: Starting in 2021, only one abstract submission per person will be permitted in order to accommodate all the lightning orals / electronic poster presentations. 

4) Selection of oral presentations: The highest ranked abstract from each division will be given an oral presentation.

• Divisions may choose to select their own oral presentation submission (via the top award winner at their research day or other peer-review process)

5) Award eligibility: Eligibility for awards requires that the submitter also be the presenter. If the original submitter cannot present, their oral/poster presentation is not eligible for awards.

6) Conflict of interest: A Disclosure of Conflict of Interest Form (pdf, 87 KB) must be uploaded with your abstract submission, if you have any COIs.

Contact the departmental research staff for any questions. 

Both the review of the submitted abstracts to rank to slot into the program and the format for judging the award winners are described below. 

Step 1: Review of Collins Surgical Day Abstracts

• Abstracts received will be scored by three reviewers.

• Abstracts will be assessed on their objective, method, reported data and interpretation, conclusion, impact, and presenter contribution.

Step 2: Assignment of Oral and Poster Presentation Slots

• The highest ranked abstract from each domain will be given an oral presentation.

• The highest ranked abstract from each division will be given an oral presentation.

  • Divisions may choose to select their own oral presentation submission (via the top award winner at their research day or other peer-review process).

• The remaining oral presentation slots will be assigned by ranked score only.

• After the oral slots are assigned, poster presentation slots will be assigned.

• A maximum of one presentation per person is assigned.

• Medical students involved in surgical research are typically invited to present an abstract poster.

  • Medical students will have their own competition for Best Medical Student Research Award.

  • In the past, medical students were not eligible for podium presentations on Collins Surgical Day. However, given the high-quality abstracts received from medical students over recent years, the committee and DoS permitted a medical student to have a podium slot in 2023. This may continue at the discretion of the committee and department in future years.

• Graduate students are not eligible to present at Collins Surgical Day.

  • Only residents and medical students are eligible to present.

• Eligibility for awards requires that the submitter also be the presenter.

Step 3: Awarding Procedures

• Reviews by faculty members are 60% of the score, by the audience are 20%, and from the original abstract score (slotting step) are 20%.

• If the reviewer is a co-author, then that review is not counted in the final score (but comments are still sent to presenter)

• Eligibility for awards requires that the submitter also be the presenter. If the original submitter cannot present, their oral/poster presentation is not eligible for awards.

• Authors will be asked to describe their contributions to the project (in free text form) upon submission.

  • This information will be available to all reviewers (with their abstract).

  • Any misrepresentation will result in a disqualification from the awards.

  • The author contribution will also be part of the oral presentation, and should be included visually and mentioned as part of the presentation.

  • Moderators and reviewers may ask presenters to further describe their roles in the project. The author contributions will be considered as part of the award review process.

Abstract Judging Criteria

Abstracts will be scored by judging on the following elements as described, each scored from 0 – 100 (from “not acceptable” to “outstanding” using a scoring rubric).

Criteria – For slotting abstracts:

1. Hypothesis or objective is clearly outlined within the abstract.

2. The methods are well described and appropriate to meet the objective.

3. The analytical methods or statistics include descriptions of error, CI, significance, etc, as appropriate.

4. The data are properly reported and interpreted in the results.

5. The conclusion appropriately summarizes the study.

6. What is your overall impression of the impact of the study? (2x)

7. Rate the contribution of the presenter to this project.

Note: Mandatory reviewer feedback

Criteria – For award competitions:

1. The methods are well described, and are appropriate to meet the objective.

2. The data are properly reported and interpreted.

3. What is your overall impression of the impact of the study? (2x)

4. Rate the contribution of the presenter to this project.

Note: Mandatory reviewer feedback for assigned reviewers (and optional for audience)

Wilbert J. Keon Surgical Leadership Award

The award aims to recognize one surgeon, currently or recently departed from the Department of Surgery (DoS) at the University of Ottawa, who has shown exceptional leadership and achievements within and beyond the field of academic surgery, in alignment with Dr. Keon’s tremendous career and contributions. The achievements can be academic, administrative, educational, and/or societal.

• Nominations may be brought forward by any member of the DoS and should be addressed to the DoS Chair or to the DoS Vice-Chair, Research.

  • Due: April 1, annually.

• A committee composed of the following DoS members will meet, either in person or via teleconference, to review nominations.

  • DoS Chair

  • Head of the Division of Cardiac Surgery

  • DoS Vice-Chair, Research

  • One other DoS member (as determined by the DoS Chair)

• One award winner will be recognized every year by decision of this committee.

• The committee will be fully dedicated to ensuring equal opportunities pertaining to sex, race, and religious background in their selection of the awardee.

• A surgeon may not receive the Wilbert J. Keon Surgical Leadership Award more than once.

Teaching Awards

• Excellence in Teaching - Best Staff Teacher (x2)

• Farid Shamji Award for Outstanding Resident Teaching

  • Both teaching awards are managed by the Office of Education, Department of Surgery

  • Instructions for Best Staff Teacher Awards

    • Chief residents are responsible for consulting residents within their division and agreeing on selections for the best staff teacher award. The Office of Education selects the two most frequently mentioned staff members that have not won the award (for at least 2 years) and are from different divisions.

    • The Office of Education asks that each chief resident and their respective residents as a group submit their top 3 choices for best staff teacher – one staff member can come from their own division, but the remaining two should be from other divisions.  Responses are due typically due mid-April, and awards are presented at Collins Surgical Day.

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Education.

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