BASIC CONSIDERATIONS IN PREPARING AN EFFECTIVE MEDICAL LECTURE

BASIC CONSIDERATIONS IN PREPARING AN EFFECTIVE MEDICAL LECTURE PATRICK DUFF, M. D. UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

LEARNING OBJECTIVES To describe the key features of an effective medical lecture To describe the essential steps in preparing a well organized slide show and written syllabus

OVERVIEW Selecting a topic Preparing a written syllabus Preparing slides Making the presentation

CAVEAT “We made too many wrong mistakes. ”

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SELECTING THE TOPIC Should be of general interest to the audience not just to the speaker Should be at the appropriate level of sophistication

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SELECTING THE TOPIC The most difficult audience to please is the "mixed audience" Students Faculty Nurses Physicians from different specialties

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SELECTING THE TOPIC Aim the presentation at the "majority" Address unique situations that may affect the "minority"

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SELECTING THE TOPIC Presentation should be amenable to review in the allotted time 30 minutes is ideal 50 minutes is too long for an audience of clinicians (or students), even for the most attentive listener Wow, is the lecture over already?

THE MEDICAL LECTURE OPTIONS FOR THE WRITTEN SYLLABUS “Bare bones” outline Detailed outline Monograph Reproduction of slides Slides plus text

THE MEDICAL LECTURE ESSENTIAL SLIDES Title slide Learning objectives Overview Conclusions

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT Major heading Subheading Text lines

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT Offset each item with a bullet rather than a Roman numeral or letter

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT Use numerals only if numerical order is important Example – the ABCs of CPR Example – the most common cancers in women, in descending order of frequency

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT Limit script on each line and number of lines on each slide so that the slide is easily visible from the back of a larger conference room

THE MEDICAL LECTURE “TOO MUCH” MATERIAL ON SLIDE Criteria for the diagnosis of severe pre-eclampsia BP > 160 mm Hg BP > 110 mm Hg CNS hyperexcitability Visual changes Headache Pulmonary edema IUGR Thombocytopenia Abnormal liver function tests Oliguria

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT Choose appropriate colors for the background and text so that the bullets and script are easily visible and the text reproduces uniformly

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT – BAD EXAMPLE Be wary of color choices Some color combinations may not be easily visible

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT Choose appropriate size lettering – especially when your lecture will be presented in a large room Do not use font size < 28

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT - EXAMPLE This script is too small This script is too big This script is probably just right

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT Limit the number of narrative text slides to approximately 1 to 1. 5 per minute Proofread slides carefully

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT When you do not proofred yur slides carfully, you create the impression of hapharzardniss in your approash to science

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT Use graphs, pie charts, and tabular summaries in lieu of narrative text when appropriate Be certain that graphs and tables are labeled correctly and that they are easily visible

HIV INFECTION RISK OF PERINATAL TRANSMISSION Obstetric Intervention Perinatal Transmission (%) No treatment 28 ZDV alone 8 HAART <2

HIV INFECTION EPIDEMIOLOGY IN WOMEN

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT Avoid use of complicated tables and figures You should not have to apologize for a "busy slide“ because you should not show it in the first place

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT Be wary of flash over substance

THE MEDICAL LECTURE SLIDE FORMAT Provide citations for key studies Include pertinent clinical materials Sonogram MRI or CT scan Anatomic specimen

CLINICAL MATERIAL EXAMPLE

CLINICAL MATERIAL EXAMPLE

PREPARING FOR THE ORAL PRESENTATION Be certain of the operation of the projector, remote control, and pointer Be certain of interfaces Computer projector Flash drive computer Versions of power point

PREPARING FOR THE ORAL PRESENTATION Rehearse Goal = perfect practice

SURVEYING THE CONFERENCE ROOM Review controls for room lights Determine optimal lighting Set comfortable room temperature

SURVEYING THE CONFERENCE ROOM Insure that adequate seating is available – especially for late arrivals Eliminate distracting noises such as pagers, cell phones, voices in adjacent rooms, and background music

MAKING THE ORAL PRESENTATION Dress in an appropriate manner for the event Stand erect

MAKING THE ORAL PRESENTATION Speak at an appropriate rate and volume Maintain eye contact Do not continuously face the screen

MAKING THE ORAL PRESENTATION Be appropriately formal but not at the expense of spontaneity Avoid distracting mannerisms

MAKING THE ORAL PRESENTATION Hold the pointer steady Illuminate the device only when pointing at a specific feature of the slide Do not wave the pointer haphazardly

MAKING THE ORAL PRESENTATION Elicit interaction with the audience whenever possible

MAKING THE PRESENTATION HUMOROUS SLIDES Must always be in good taste Must be relevant to the subject

MAKING THE PRESENTATION HUMOROUS SLIDES Use humor to make an important point If humor alone is the point, do not use the slide

ANTIBIOTICS CEPHALOSPORINS

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF POSTOPERATIVE INFECTION

MAKING THE PRESENTATION PODIUM AND MICROPHONE Positioning of the podium Fixed microphone Portable microphone

MAKING THE PRESENTATION RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS Written vs oral Repeat the question so that all can hear

EVALUATING THE PRESENTATION “AFTER ACTION” ASSESSMENT Immediately evaluate your presentation Correct obvious errors Reassess when you receive your formal evaluation and then further modify the presentation

THE MEDICAL LECTURE CONCLUSIONS Select an appropriate topic ADHERE TO THE TIME LIMIT Follow the written outline Prepare attractive slides

THE MEDICAL LECTURE CONCLUSIONS Rehearse the presentation Maximize the ambient environment Engage the audience ADHERE TO THE TIME LIMIT !

THE MEDICAL LECTURE CONCLUSIONS Be at peace with the fact that you cannot please everyone no matter how hard you try