Stillwater45 raises an important issue regarding presentations. I'll share with you an excerpt from my book - 250 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make And How To Avoid Them - that addresses some of the questions raised:
Mistake # 84 - Presenting a verbatim reading of the patient's write-up
The oral case presentation should not be a verbatim reading of the patient's write-up. Instead, it should be a carefully edited version of the write-up. Oral and written case presentations have different purposes. The latter is much more comprehensive. Oral presentations, however, are meant to rapidly convey key information. By reading your write-up aloud for the oral presentation, you will present information that is overly detailed.
It is also difficult, if not impossible, to keep the attention of the audience if you present a verbatim reading of your write-up. When presenting, you need to keep the audience engaged and interested. That's difficult to do if you are reading the write-up out loud. Lesser reliance on notes allows you to maintain eye contact with your listeners, which helps keep your audience interested. It also conveys to the attending that you have a firm grasp on your patient's medical problems. Keep in mind that it is acceptable to glance at your notes occasionally. For example, when reporting medication dosages and laboratory data, it may be necessary to refer to your notes. If you are able to deliver polished oral case presentations without relying too heavily on notes, you will be seen as an accomplished, effective student.
From 250 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make And How To Avoid Them Page 81 (copyright 2007 Samir Desai and Rajani Katta)
Here are some other tips:
1) Learn about your attending's expectations with regards to this early in the rotation. Don't assume that a younger attending doesn't care if you use notes. I know plenty of younger attendings who do care.
2) If your attending says "I would like for you to present with minimal notes," then, for your first presentation, memorize only the HPI. Have your HPI handy in case you freeze or draw a blank (but don't read it unless you must). If you do fine with the memorized HPI, then on presentation # 2, memorize the PMH/PSH, and so on. With this approach, you will gain confidence. My students have done well using this approach.
3) If your attending says "It's no big deal. You can use your notes," you have his permission to do so. However, don't assume that he will be impressed to the same degree as someone who does it with a paucity of notes. I don't require students to present without notes but I do tell them the advantages. I also tell them that, if the evaluation form prizes the student who presents with minimal notes, I won't be able to give them the highest mark in that area unless they present well without using too much in the way notes. I would have to stay true to the evaluation form.
4) Most attendings won't mind if you read medication dosages, lab test results, etc. Even with lab tests, though, it's not too hard to remember them. For example, if the hemoglobin is abnormal but the rest of the CBC is normal, all you have to do is say "Hemoglobin 9.3 with the rest of the CBC normal." Using this technique, you can save yourself from having to memorize normal lab data.
Hope that helps,
