There are many reasons you should put yourself though the special kind of stress that accompanies presenting your research. This post will cover two.

1) To build your resume or CV. Whether you apply for a fellowship, scholarship, or med/grad/prof school, the more presentations you have to list the better off you'll be. Most selection committees rank research presentations as a quality-rich activity.

2) To polish your communication skills. There is no substitute for being able to adapt your message to the audience you're speaking to. Presenting your research will help you develop strategies for doing this well. When you present your work, some poster visitors will have more knowledge about the subject than you do and some will have less. Learning to adapt your message for either audience, and making your message meaningful to the person you're speaking with, is a skill that only comes with practice.