The teaching-research nexus is integral to the teaching and learning framework of many universities as a form of experiential learning to engage students. It can be thought of as those activities that allow students to develop a research orientation towards their discipline or profession. Whether they plan a research career or professional practice, these research skills are integral to ongoing professional development. Medical Radiation Science students regularly examine discipline specific content through case based learning. Students investigate topics related to patient cases and consult evidence in the literature to apply best practice recommendations to their case study presentations. This form of assessment fosters the link between evidence, discipline knowledge and professional practice. A group of Radiation Therapy (RT) students motivated by the idea of a RT Student Conference successfully converted this concept through a case study, into a student-initiated reality, with support and resources from the university and their professional body.

Keywords: teaching-research nexus, student conference