The Annual Education Symposium is hosting its third annual 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition! The 3MT is an opportunity to articulate your research in front of an audience. The challenge? You are only allowed to present in a static position, use one image or slide, and have three minutes to summarize your research. Visit this link to view an exemplary example.
About the 3MT
It is believed that to present a dissertation, one would need nearly nine hours. The 3MT presents the challenge of articulating your research in an interesting and compelling way– within 3 minutes. By participating in the 3MT, competitors are developing vital communication skills to explain their research in a succinct manner to non-specialists.
The competition this year will take on a slightly different format. This competition will have a College of Medicine Division followed by an overall Health Sciences 3MT Competition.
The College of Medicine Division
The College of Medicine Division (CMD) will have two rounds. The opening round will be held via video submission, in front of any static image or slide. Those selected to advance to the finals round of the CMD will be notified in early January. Finalists will deliver their talks in-person during the Annual Education Symposium (AES) on January 28, 2026 before a judging panel and a live audience during the morning breakout sessions. The CMD Champion will be invited to compete in the Health Sciences 3MT held prior to the concluding keynote speaker and invited to participate in the Graduate School’s 3MT competition.
Health Sciences 3MT Competition
Those invited to participate in this event will be the 3MT winners from the College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health, and College of Optometry. The winner of the Health Science 3MT will be noted as the Champion in the Graduate School’s 3MT competition.
The grand prize winner of the Health Sciences 3MT will receive a $100 gift card or Ohio State swag at similar value, along with the recording of their presentation from AES shared on the Office of Curriculum and Scholarship website.
How to Enter (College of Medicine Division only)
First, record yourself giving your talk. You MUST include this slide at the beginning (Download). You are then allowed ONE slide or image to accompany your actual presentation.
To be considered for the first round, record yourself giving your presentation. Then, upload your video to this SharePoint folder by Sunday, December 21st at 11:59 pm with the name “YourLastName_PresentationTitle”. Please note that your file will automatically be moved to a locked folder upon upload, meaning you will no longer see your submission. To eliminate any confusion, we ask that you also complete this short Qualtrics survey so we can contact you to confirm we have received your submission.
We will notify those selected to participate in early January. See the rules below to ensure you are not disqualified!
Rules
- Must be filmed in a static location (no pacing the stage).
- The presentation can only be delivered by one person (no group presentations).
- The presentation should be about YOUR research.
- Recording must be one take; no editing is permitted. We recommend using Zoom to record your presentation.
- A single, static slide or image is permitted. No slide transitions, animations, or “movement” of any kind are allowed. The slide or image is to be presented from the beginning of the oration.
- No additional electronic media or props are permitted (e.g., sound and video files, laboratory equipment, costumes, medical instruments).
- Video must begin with the 3MT title slide (separate from your presentation image or slide). Download that title slide here.
- Presentation cannot exceed three minutes. All presentations which exceed three minutes will be disqualified.
Additional rules and regulations can be found here, and you can download the scoring rubric here.
Tips for making a successful video:
- Have a clear outcome in mind– what do you want the audience to know?
- Avoid jargon; speak to a wide audience
- Do not rely on your side; use it as a prop instead
- Tell a story– avoid rattling off facts
- Watch past exemplary examples
- Review the scoring rubric
- Practice, practice, and practice
- Have fun!
Additional Resources
11 Tips for the 3-Minute Thesis Competition
10 Hints for Improving Presentations for the Three-Minute Thesis Competition
Finally, please know that video quality will not impact the score of a participant’s submission. However, this is an excellent guide to help ensure your success.
Questions?
Please contact OCS@osumc.edu with any questions. Good luck!