2026 Call for Abstracts & Bigger-lehman submissions

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The 2026 Annual Meeting will take place May 29 & 30, 2026 at the Omni Richmond Hotel in vibrant downtown Richmond, Virginia. The VSS Research & Scholarship Committee invites Medical Students, Residents and Fellows to submit a abstract to be considered for presentation in the program. The deadline for the 2026 program is Monday, January 5, 2026.

Presenting your work at the Annual Meeting does not preclude presentation at other conferences. 

A faculty member co-author of the study accepted for presentation must be a member of the ACS and the VA-ACS.

ABSTRACTS
The program will consider submissions in the following categories:

• Clinical and basic science research
• Clinical studies
• Case presentations
• Innovative techniques
• How I Do It presentations

POSTER PRESENTATIONS
A poster session will be held during the Annual Meeting. When submitting your abstract, you may choose “Poster Only” or “Oral or Poster” as your preferred presentation format. Abstracts submitted as “Oral or Poster” will be considered for an oral presentation first. If not selected for oral presentation, they will automatically be included in the poster session.

PRIZES
Awards will be presented to the top abstracts in both oral and poster categories: 

• Oral Presentations: 1st place – $250 | 2nd place – $150
• Poster Presentations: 1st place – $100 | 2nd place – $50

Note: Winners of the COC and COT competitions automatically present at the VA-ACS Annual Meeting and do not need to resubmit their abstracts.

Questions? Contact Susan McConnell, Chapter Administrator, at smcconnell@ramdocs.org or 804/622-8139. 

The 2026 Annual Meeting will take place May 29 & 30, 2026 at the Omni Richmond Hotel in vibrant downtown Richmond, Virginia. The VSS Research & Scholarship Committee invites you to submit a manuscript to be considered for presentation in the program. The deadline for the 2026 program is Monday, January 5, 2026.

BIGGER-LEHMAN SUBMISSIONS

Eligibility:

• Surgical Residents or Fellows in an approved surgical program in Virginia.
• The faculty co-author must be a member of both the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Virginia Chapter (VA-ACS).

Submission Requirements:

• A complete manuscript, either unpublished or published within the last calendar year of the VA-ACS meeting.
• Must be submitted by January 5, 2026.

Awards:

• 1st Place: $500
• 2nd Place: $250

Presentation & Travel:

• Winners are expected to present their papers at the 2026 Annual Meeting
• The VSS Research & Scholarship Committee will cover reasonable travel expenses.

Note: you can also choose to submit your manuscript an abstract for presentation at the Annual Meeting.

Questions? Contact Susan McConnell, Chapter Administrator, at smcconnell@ramdocs.org or 804/622-8139.