Our Story

In order to evaluate the PCOGS and decide whether guests wish to pursue membership, interested physicians can come as a member’s personal guest to an annual meeting. The official process to join begins in the applicant’s geographic caucus, where a member sponsors a guest physician’s application. Caucus members then vote to invite applicants to be a guest of the Caucus at the following annual scientific meeting. This provides an official introduction to the group, allows more exposure to the process, and starts the timeline for presentation of a paper two years later. When invitees agree to come to the annual meeting as a Caucus Guest it is important to be sure they are available for the meeting dates. Two years after coming as a Caucus Guest and following caucus and board approval candidates will be invited as a Society Guest to present a scientific paper. Invited Society Guests are welcome to come to the interval annual meeting as a guest of the Board of Directors. There is no obligation to attend as a Guest of the Board. Meeting registration and expenses are the responsibility of invited guests for each meeting. Following each Annual Scientific Meeting the PCOGS members vote on the Society guests and the Board sends its confirmation of membership.

 

Society Guests always present their papers in an oral format for admission to the PCOGS. The scientific program also includes presentations by Fellows. Posters are a second presentation format, and every year OBGYN residents and fellows from Pacific Coast medical centers are invited to exhibit posters at the Society’s annual meeting as guests of the society. The best resident/fellow poster is awarded an honorarium. One resident/fellow also wins the chance to present his/her paper orally and receives an honorarium. So that they can be formally introduced and welcomed, poster presenters give an oral five minute summary of their poster from the podium.

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A mentoring process for PCOGS Society guests is in place to facilitate the best paper possible with the least distress for the potential member. The sponsoring caucus will match the potential member with a suitable mentor. This person will be able to help guests understand and manage the membership process. The assigned mentor will be someone who is knowledgeable in the potential member’s area of research. In some instances candidates may need assistance from several mentors to facilitate the planning process, IRB approval, and submit appropriate data analysis. Since IRB approval takes time it is important to know whether IRB approval is needed before initiating a study or data collection. 

 

The PCOGS has always prided itself on the quality of the presented papers. Historically, presentations have been the culmination of a process of original data collection, analysis, drafting of a manuscript suitable for publication, and making an oral presentation at the annual meeting. At that meeting the presentation is followed by a formal discussion presented by a Society member who has volunteered to critique the manuscript and ask several questions. After the formal discussion, audience members and their guests have the opportunity to ask further questions in an informal discussion. After the formal discussion, and after each member’s informal questions, the paper’s presenter responds to the queries.

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Historically, the various regional OBGYN societies in the country, such as the PCOGS, have had a relationship with the American Journal of Obestetrics and Gynecology (AJOG) to have their best papers published in a later AJOG issue. PCOGS papers appear eight or nine months following the meeting in the June issue. Prior to 2006, manuscripts presented to PCOGS were peer reviewed anonymously by PCOGS members, and then sent to AJOG. Since 2006, manuscripts are sent directly to the journal for peer review, and they undergo the same editorial peer review process as non-society papers using the journal’s set of peer reviewers. As the Society valued the previous internal review by PCOGS members prior to submission, the Society has created a process for internal review, presently called “pre-review.” This creates a non-mandatory option of pre-submission review within PCOGS, so authors can get some input allowing improvement of their paper before AJOG submission.

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PCOGS is a member run organization. Many members devote time to making the organization work. In addition, Daniella Esquivias, PCOGS Society Administrator, has served the society for many years and is available for assistance. Guests attending the meeting quickly realize that member volunteers manage all the arrangements, the registration, and the entire agenda. Attention to provided information and instructions, coupled with timely responses, will help the efforts and efficiency of the hard-working PCOGS Fellows who make these meetings so successful.

 

The PCOGS blends those in community practice with those in academic practice, essentially academic clinicians and clinical academicians, and welcomes their families to the annual meetings. Members take pride in the social aspects of the society, which opens opportunities to develop lasting friendships with members geographically distant from their own communities. The addition of enthusiastic new members is vital to the continuation of the Society. The Society hopes its guests will be interested in learning more and pursuing membership.