Presentations/Conferences (Public Speaking)

[capostat]

I'm considering a pathology residency after med school, and I'd just like to know how often formal presentations are required. I get nervous when i'm the center of attention in a formal setting.

I've sat in on tumor board conferences where patients are presented. Those are not stressful situations because everyone is giving their input after the case is put out. These are pretty casual...

When i read residency program outlines, i get a little anxious when i read "mandatory presentation". It's a reason why I wouldn't want to practice in an academic setting, if I wasn't able to manage my phobia during my residency. then again it should get easier with practice...

Is, or was this a problem for some of you? If not, how do you approach tasks as these?

thanks

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[yaah]

I don't think you're going to find any residency in any specialty that doesn't require presentations.

At this point, I am probably upwards of several dozen presentations during residency and at national meetings. Some are about 10-15 minutes long, others are closer to one hour. I think it's probably natural to be nervous, like anything you will improve with time.

All you can do is just do it. You practice ahead of time until you are comfortable with the material, and then present it. You will probably find that the anxiety dissipates as you start talking.

Everybody has nerves about something - maybe it's presentations, maybe it's procedures, maybe it's meeting one on one with attendings. Part of being in medicine is becoming comfortable with things that you have to do.

 

[capostat]

alright, that's kind of what i expect--to get better at it with time. I'm not sure about large audiences. I've never done that before, ever. As you mentioned--at National Meetings, how is the environment?

thanks yaah

 

[Master Chief]

How is the environment at National Meetings? Well, I just gave a talk not too long ago, and managed to offend most of the pathologists in the country in my field. Of course I was just joking around, but people tend to take themselves way too seriously. On the plus side, if you give a straight up talk, then nobody will give you a hard time. Don't worry, everyone knows where you are in your training and that with practice you will improve.

 

[docbiohazard]

I had to give a ton of talks in grad school, including even an international meeting, so I can say that practicing your talk, as well as giving talks over and over again, will ultimately decrease your stress level. Ultimately, you'll get to the point where you'd rather give a talk than present a poster (easier to carry, no fuss with setup/takedown, no long periods of standing at a poster...)

If you have serious serious talk-giving anxiety, you might talk to a professional about managing your fears/anxiety. I have known people to take very low dose beta blockers before, to calm themselves, but then you run the risk of passing out.

BH

 

[jux]

I have given talks at some national and international conferences too. Also I had this one intergalactic presentation that I was a little nervous for but I rocked it.

I'm not much of a speaker but I probably put more effort into my powerpoints/preparation than is needed to try to make up for it. Take advantage of residency as an opportunity to confront your phobia without almost any real consequences. Except you could offend every pathologist in the country in your field I guess.

 

[pathresident]

I don't think you're going to find any residency in any specialty that doesn't require presentations.

At this point, I am probably upwards of several dozen presentations during residency and at national meetings. Some are about 10-15 minutes long, others are closer to one hour. I think it's probably natural to be nervous, like anything you will improve with time.

All you can do is just do it. You practice ahead of time until you are comfortable with the material, and then present it. You will probably find that the anxiety dissipates as you start talking.

Everybody has nerves about something - maybe it's presentations, maybe it's procedures, maybe it's meeting one on one with attendings. Part of being in medicine is becoming comfortable with things that you have to do.

Yaah, that's a great post! I agree completely.

 

[shazbot]

i was terrified of public speaking before residency and got shaky at even telling attendings about patients during medical school.

after several years of residency and over 15 20-60 minute presentations, and some posters at meetings, i am much better at it, and only get a little nervous now.

i picked my program partially because it was so heavy on the presentations, and the first few were tough, but you do learn how to handle yourself and your talks with practice. like many other things in residency, once you have to do something a bunch of times, you get better at it, regardless of how you feel about it. i think residency is a great time to deal with your fear of public speaking, and it is a pretty supportive environment in which to do so. i say - don't let it get in your way!

 

[pathgrrl]

At the risk of sounding like an internist, you should seriously consider pre-medicating 30min before a presentation with 25mg atenolol (if you are of average size). This will take away the physical symptoms that exacerbate your performance anxiety and allow you to practice presentations without fear of shaking, dripping sweat, passing out, etc....eventually you could try it without. Side effects are minimal at that dose when taken infrequently, and most PMDs will have no problem prescribing a few to you.