IV. How to improve your lectures and presentations
Carlos Garcia, MD
In the form provided to you, please answer the following quizz before the presentation
(3 min)
List 3 characteristics of good lectures
List 3 characteristics of good/ effective slides
Compare and contrast a good versus a bad lecturer
Objectives
Identify the characteristics of good lectures
Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics of effective slides
Compare and contrast a good versus a bad lecturer
Group exercise
Please work in pairs to answer the following question. You will have
2 minutes.
Can you list 3 reasons to give a lecture?
Some reasons to give a lecture
Present personal research
Synthesize published knowledge
Share personal/ anecdotal experience
You are invited to speak
You are forced to do it in residency
The bad lecture
#1
Lecturer rambles non-stop for an hour
He knows the topic but lacks enthusiasm
You are bored to death
#2
Lecturer with magnificent slides/ effects
Covers everything on a topic
You sleep after 20 minutes
#3
Lecturer with many anecdotes and cases
Unconnected to any theme
Just shows his experience
Nothing was useful to you
The good lecture
Organized
Brief
Enthusiastic speaker
Topic is relevant Work Exam
Guidelines for lecture presentations
Principle #1
State learning objectives Behaviors expected after the presentation
Design your talk according to your objectives
Handouts are recommended
Bad objectives
“Today, I will”:
Review the pathophysiology of X
Show you clinical cases of X
Talk about treatment of X
Good objectives
At the end of the lecture the audience will be able to:
List the different presentations of X
Implement a medical plan for X
Evaluate therapeutic options for X
Principle #2
Attract and maintain attention
Clear statement of purpose (objectives)
Start by posing a question or dilemma
Attention span= 15-20 minutes Use questioning, brainstorming, and demonstrating
Principle #3
Make only one or two major points
Principle #4
Make the organization clear
Tell them what you are going to tell them
Then, tell them
Finally, tell them what you just told them
Principle #5
Use audio-visual aids that help, not hinder
Do not apologize for slides
People remember 20% of what they hear 30% of what they see 50% of what they see and hear
Questions or comments?
Characteristics of good slides
Legible
Simple
See/ hear compatible
Color schemes
Light backgroundDark text
Dark backgroundLight text
Basic options
This is the best (blue background white or yellow
text)
Lecture is for teaching
Fancy is not necessary
Simplicity & legibility are key
Black text
Blue text
Yellow text
Green text
Light blue text
Red text
Very light blue text
Light pink text
White text on blue background Yellow text on blue background
Avoid black text on blue background
Some people are red and green color blind
Font style and size
Serif Mohs for the nose (Palatino) Mohs for the nose (Times New Roman) Mohs for the nose(Courier new)
Sans serif (recommended) Mohs for the nose (Arial) Mohs for the nose (Arial black) Mohs for the nose (Tahoma)
Headings and subheadings 36
Headings and subheadings 32
Headings and subheadings 28
Headings and subheadings 24
Body text and annotations 28
Body text and annotations 24
Body text and annotations 20
Headings may be centered
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Textextextextext
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Headings may be left
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Headings may be right
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Headline
Body text should be left aligned
Body text should be left aligned
Body text should be left aligned
Headline
Centered text is harder to comprehend
The start of the next line is difficult to locate
It’s too much work for the eye
Headline
Right-aligned text is harder to comprehend
The start of the next line is difficult to locate
It’s too much work for the eye
Content and organization
RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. IT MAKES COMPREHENSION HARDER BECAUSE ALL LETTERS ARE THE SAME HEIGHT. WE READ BY RECOGNIZING WORD SHAPES
Resist the temptation to use all capital letters. It makes comprehension harder because all letters are the same height. We read by recognizing word shapes.
Text color
Beware of using too many colors
This can be very distracting
The eyes will be bouncing
Text color
Single colors are more dynamic
Underlie for emphasis
And/or increase font size
Avoid too many bullets and too many words per line
The surgical ellipse
The ellipse is the most common excisional procedure
Usually performed under sterile conditions and local anesthesia using lidocaine1-2% with epinephrine 1:100,000
There is consensus on the guidelines for designing adequate ellipses
Pre-marking skin with gentian violet Delineating margins: 2mm for benign lesions, 5mm or more for malignant lesions
Length: width ratio 3-4:1 30-degree angles on tip
Instead, follow the rule of “6”
Maximum 6 bullets per slide, and
6 words per line
Use diagrams instead of words
Surgical ellipse
Sterile technique
Local anesthesia
Surgical margins
Benign lesions 2mm Malignant lesions 5mm
Standard abreviations are useful and appropriate
Post-op complications
MMS and MM
Excisional bx
Non-standard abbreviations are not appropriate
Postoper comp
Mohs mic sur and mal mel
Ex biop
Please work in pairs and make 3 suggestions to improve the
following slide (2 min)
Some sobering statistics about our healthcare system
Our current healthcare system incurs over $177 billion annually in mostly avoidable health care costs to treat adverse events from INAPPROPRIATE MEDICATION USE
Treatment of chronic disease costs the health care system over $1.3 trillion annually – diabetes alone is about $170
billion
*About 1/3 of patients who begin a drug regimen never refill the prescription
Things to avoid in your presentation
Too many animations
Too many jokes
Too many pictures
Too much information
The oral presentation
Calculate 1.5 slides for every minute of your talk
Grand rounds= 45 minutes= maximum 67 slides
If you are nervous
Take 1-2 deep breaths
Tense yourself up all over then relax
Know your opening lines to perfection
Start with memorized opening lines and posing a question or
dilemma that lead to your presentation
State clearly if you welcome questions
Keep eye contact
Avoid unnecessary movements
Do not “read” from your slides
Use them as newspaper headlines
Dermatologic Surgery encompasses a wide variety of methods to remove or modify skin tissue for health or cosmetic benefit.
These methods provide high-quality, cost-effective skin surgery and include scalpel surgery, laser surgery, chemical surgery, cryosurgery (liquid nitrogen), electrosurgery, aspiration surgery, liposuction, injection of filler substances, and Mohs micrographic controlled surgery (a special technique for the removal of growths, especially skin cancers).
Instead, make 2 simpler slides
Dermatologic surgery
Non cosmetic procedures
Excisional surgery Traditional versus Mohs surgery
Electrosurgery Cryosurgery
Dermatologic surgery
Cosmetic procedures
Chemical peels Fillers Botox Lasers Liposuction
Average attention span is 15- 20’
Engage your audience
Pause or vary format every 15-20’ Blank slide Questions
How to end your lecture
Summarize your lecture
Ask if there are questions
Terminate session clearly
Questions or comments?
In the form provided to you, please answer the following quizz before leaving the room
(3 min)
List 3 characteristics of good lectures
List 3 characteristics of good/ effective slides
Compare and contrast a good versus a bad lecturer
A medical educator will meet with you tomorrow at noon to get your feedback regarding this class. Lunch will be provided
Also, within the next 2 weeks, please e-mail Dr. Garcia 3 objectives that you intend to use in your next lecture or presentation