The fifth International Conference for Healthcare and Medical Students (ICHAMS) will take place today and tomorrow at RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland).

ICHAMS is a biomedical conference for undergraduate healthcare and medical students to present their research to peers and researchers from diverse fields of research. In addition to the high calibre of delegates at the conference, there are numerous workshops offered on a variety of topics, as well as the opportunity to network with delegates from all over the world. 

More than 200 undergraduate healthcare students from Ireland, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Iran, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom will attend the conference to present oral and poster presentations on a wide variety of healthcare research. The theme of this year's event is ‘Connect. Collaborate. Differentiate'.

The conference gives students the opportunity to present their research findings in an international setting and have their abstracts published, while educating them on the importance of research in the broader medical fields and provides career information on specific research topics they might want to pursue, both at home and abroad. With more than 200 students attending the conference, ICHAMS is attracting international students to strengthen Ireland's reputation as a centre of excellence in research.

Dr Sarah O'Neill, Chair of the Scientific Committee, said, "I am proud of fact that ICHAMS is in its fifth year and this is a real testament to the dedication and hard work of our student organising committee. We are very excited about this year's programme and we anticipate it will encourage innovative thinking as attendees share their research knowledge and experiences with each other. We also look forward to welcoming our international delegates to Dublin and hope this experience gives students an insight into the world of scientific research. I also hope ICHAMS will inspire many to continue to Connect, Collaborate, and Differentiate."

The three keynote speakers, who will speak over the two days at ICHAMS, are Richard Corbridge, CEO of the HSE (Health Service Executive) and Chief Officer of eHealth Ireland; Professor David Kuhns, Director of the RCSI Physician Associate Programme; and Dr Ravikiran Ongole, Radiologist and Professor in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology at the Manipal College of Dental Sciences in Mangilore, India.

Apart from the keynote speeches, other highlights of the programme include Friday afternoon workshop sessions. Two of these will focus on surgery (‘Surgeons, Saws and Speed' and an ‘Olympus Laparoscopy Skills Session'); one on physiotherapy and another on suturing skills. The Saturday morning workshops will be based on anaesthesiology, emergency medicine and obstetrics and gynaecology. 

The event will conclude with a prize giving in the Albert Theatre, RCSI and will be followed by a gala dinner on Saturday, 20 February in the Radisson Blu hotel in Golden Lane, Dublin. 

For further information on the conference programme visit the conference website ichams.org.