public speaking

[Jack1919]

Just a quick question:

How many/much presentations/public speaking does one have to endure during med school? I've had enough clinical experience to see med students and residents do presentations on their rounds, and to me this is much more informal than what I'm talking about. While presentations on rounds induce their own kind of fear, I'm talking about formal presentations. The kind that people, me included, get to stress about in advance. (i.e. - formal public speaking in front of a large group of colleagues).

Anyway, obviously I am asking because I loathe public speaking. I am currently taking a class to overcome this irrational fear, but I thought I would ask to get an idea of what I am up against if I am to convince myself that I can be successful in a med school environment.

Thanks!

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[Mike59]

In my preclinical years we had to do group presentations (in teams of 4-5) lasting about an hour on a few occasions (about every 1-2 months). In my rotations, I've seen that residents have to often prepare a presentation/lecture about once a rotation (on their own) and as medical students, we do it in teams about once a rotation. All of these are to an audience of 10-20 or so....

Best of luck overcoming your anxiety about public speaking, hopefully it'll become second nature for you as your go further in your education.

 

[supereagles]

Just a quick question:

How many/much presentations/public speaking does one have to endure during med school? I've had enough clinical experience to see med students and residents do presentations on their rounds, and to me this is much more informal than what I'm talking about. While presentations on rounds induce their own kind of fear, I'm talking about formal presentations. The kind that people, me included, get to stress about in advance. (i.e. - formal public speaking in front of a large group of colleagues).

Anyway, obviously I am asking because I loathe public speaking. I am currently taking a class to overcome this irrational fear, but I thought I would ask to get an idea of what I am up against if I am to convince myself that I can be successful in a med school environment.

Thanks!

What kind of class are you taking? I have the same problem with public speaking. I am quite comfortable speaking up in little groups but speaking in formal settings freaks me out. I don't want this to become a stumbling block in my medical career. Any suggestions

 

[deuist]

joboo,

I was on the speech and debate team at my undergraduate university and then volunteered as an assistant coach while in graduate school. I might be able to help you somewhat. There are three factors that make or break any speaker: rate of speech, pitch, and refusal to make eye contact. Here's how to correct those problems:

1) Your heart acts as a metronome for the rest of the body---including the way you talk. If your heart is beating too fast---usually as a result of nervousness---you start to talk faster. To help ease the tension, touch the tip of your middle finger on each hand to your thumbs and then rest your hands down by your side. Now press your finger and thumb together as hard as possible. Viola, you just dropped your heart rate.

2) A lot of people talk (and sing) "from their lungs." I don't know a better way to describe this second method, but acting coaches call it "speaking from your belly." Drop your tone to sound more conversational and confident. You'll also slow down.

3) I don't know how many seminars I've had to sit through where the speaker stares at the screen and refuses to look at the audience. I get so frustrated because the speaker seems so unconfident. If you have to, pick out three people in the audience who look friendly and direct your speech at them. They should be located in three areas: one person on the right side of the room, one on the left, and the other in the center. While you're speaking, move one to the next in a sweeping motion.

4 (bonus) Know your speech backwards and forwards. You'll be more confident if you're better prepared.

 

[UCLAstudent]

deuist, thank you for those tips. I, too, am scared to death of public speaking.

 

[v j]

you guys should try out toastmasters. it's an organization that has chapters virtually everywhere. their philospophy is that everyone has some sort of fear/deficiency with public speaking and the only way to improve is to speak publicly.

i've done a couple of speeches with them. everyone is very supportive and encouraging. you'll see people of all levels. you do impov type speaking and prepared speeches. great experience and it's not terribly time consuming.

give it a try before you start out med school, you'll like it.

another suggestion is to try teaching. either as a TA or an instructor for princeton review/kaplan/examkrackers/etc or whatever else you could teach.


the more you do it the more comfortable it gets. good luck!

 

[germ]

I heard Beta blockers help with the jitters.


Also you can try performance excercises like actors do before a scene where they scream a few words at the top of their lungs for a few minutes.

 

[idq1i]

I heard Beta blockers help with the jitters.

Beta blockers may prevent your heart from exploding, but they won't help you overcome the fear.

Systematic desensitization is the best treatment for this type of social phobia.

-(partially cured) iDq1i

 

[MrTee]

you guys should try out toastmasters. it's an organization that has chapters virtually everywhere. their philospophy is that everyone has some sort of fear/deficiency with public speaking and the only way to improve is to speak publicly.

i've done a couple of speeches with them. everyone is very supportive and encouraging. you'll see people of all levels. you do impov type speaking and prepared speeches. great experience and it's not terribly time consuming.

give it a try before you start out med school, you'll like it.

another suggestion is to try teaching. either as a TA or an instructor for princeton review/kaplan/examkrackers/etc or whatever else you could teach.


the more you do it the more comfortable it gets. good luck!

I second the teaching thing, it really helps. One good thing about presentations today is that they're all powerpoint now--powerpoints take away much of the stress of having to know the material cold. Imagine doing a presentation or lecture without them. That would be bad.

 

[njbmd]

Just a quick question:

How many/much presentations/public speaking does one have to endure during med school? I've had enough clinical experience to see med students and residents do presentations on their rounds, and to me this is much more informal than what I'm talking about. While presentations on rounds induce their own kind of fear, I'm talking about formal presentations. The kind that people, me included, get to stress about in advance. (i.e. - formal public speaking in front of a large group of colleagues).

Anyway, obviously I am asking because I loathe public speaking. I am currently taking a class to overcome this irrational fear, but I thought I would ask to get an idea of what I am up against if I am to convince myself that I can be successful in a med school environment.

Thanks!

Hi there,
Another thing that you can do is practice your presentations into a tape recorder and play back. This helps you get used to the sound of your voice. As a medical student, you will be presenting small talks and presenting on rounds. These are not major undertakings. When you have to do a formal presentation (more than 20 minutes), you will be the person who knows more than anyone else in the room about your subject. Rehearse, rehearse and do more rehearsal. Most people get through the presentations just fine; even those who hate public speaking.
njbmd

 

[Ramoray]

joboo,

I was on the speech and debate team at my undergraduate university and then volunteered as an assistant coach while in graduate school. I might be able to help you somewhat. There are three factors that make or break any speaker: rate of speech, pitch, and refusal to make eye contact. Here's how to correct those problems:

1) Your heart acts as a metronome for the rest of the body---including the way you talk. If your heart is beating too fast---usually as a result of nervousness---you start to talk faster. To help ease the tension, touch the tip of your middle finger on each hand to your thumbs and then rest your hands down by your side. Now press your finger and thumb together as hard as possible. Viola, you just dropped your heart rate.

2) A lot of people talk (and sing) "from their lungs." I don't know a better way to describe this second method, but acting coaches call it "speaking from your belly." Drop your tone to sound more conversational and confident. You'll also slow down.

3) I don't know how many seminars I've had to sit through where the speaker stares at the screen and refuses to look at the audience. I get so frustrated because the speaker seems so unconfident. If you have to, pick out three people in the audience who look friendly and direct your speech at them. They should be located in three areas: one person on the right side of the room, one on the left, and the other in the center. While you're speaking, move one to the next in a sweeping motion.

4 (bonus) Know your speech backwards and forwards. You'll be more confident if you're better prepared.

this is the most ridiculous post i think i have read yet. Touch your middle fingers and your heart rate drops? what a loser, in people that are scared this will not do ****. I have spoken 100s of times and the only thing that overcomes fear is practice plain and simple. Touching your left toe with your tongue or whatever you recomend wont do anything. Its always the people that try "teach" these speaking classes that are so usless because you obviously have lost touch with how it is to be scared and its not something you can turn off. And pitch of your voice? this is advice? stop your bad advice and go back to your toolbox

 

[Ramoray]

Beta blockers may prevent your heart from exploding, but they won't help you overcome the fear.

Systematic desensitization is the best treatment for this type of social phobia.

-(partially cured) iDq1i

i partially disagree, i think a big contributor to the fear is when someone gets really sweaty and a really fast heart rate, it is literally difficult to speak and just perpetuates the nervous ness. If you "feel" like your not nervous, like slow HR, you have more confidence to deliver what you have to deliver. I have not personally tried this but i remember back in the day when i had a fear, alot of the fear was having an uncontrollable high HR and getting sweaty and a general sense of ANS overload

 

[Drugtech]

Not really advice, more anecdotal than anything: The number one human fear is public speaking, while the number two human fear is being naked in public. Humans would rather be naked in public than speak in front of a crowd! Quite bizarre when you think about it, but I too get anxious when speaking in front of a large crowd.

 

[Sparky Man]

I used to get extremely nervous while speaking in public. After several presentations during graduate school, I am used to the cycle of nervousness and that in itself calms me down. I finally realized that it won't kill me. It's good to keep in mind that most people in the audience are rooting for you - they don't want you to fail! I have found that practice is critical. I practice by myself and then with people who I find very supportive. I don't invite A-holes to my practice sessions. Finally, I think public speaking is naturally feared by most. It's an awkward thing. But don't let it stop you. It sure didn't stop George Bush. Hmm, maybe that's not an uplifting comment. Sorry about that.

Sparky

 

[AcousticDoc]

Use self hypnosis/NLP. It's helped me overcome public speaking tremendously.

 

[Ramoray]

Not really advice, more anecdotal than anything: The number one human fear is public speaking, while the number two human fear is being naked in public. Humans would rather be naked in public than speak in front of a crowd! Quite bizarre when you think about it, but I too get anxious when speaking in front of a large crowd.

this probably depends on yoru body type. If you have a smoking body than why not be naked. However if you are a fat lump than of course you would be scared. I think the statistical comparison is off because everyone goes into public speaking with the same repetoire, however not everyone can strip down and look hot. the pole must have been people comfy with their bodies.

 

[cfdavid]

Beta blockers may prevent your heart from exploding, but they won't help you overcome the fear.

Systematic desensitization is the best treatment for this type of social phobia.

-(partially cured) iDq1i

I feel that it's not really the "fear" of public speaking per se, as much as it is the fear of the associated symptoms. Now, I realize that something (probably in the mind) kicks off the over-sensitive sympathetic response, but I've personally found that to tackle the symptoms greatly reduces any fear/apprehension of the actual act of speaking in public.

Beta blockers are VERY effective in eliminating the pounding heart, and peripheral jitters/shakes etc. You may find, as I did, that once these physical "symptoms" are addressed that you may actually like giving presentations.

I gave a presentation 2 weeks ago to about 40 of my peers. I took an appropriate level of inderal and atenelol (beta 1&2 and beta 2, respectively), and this helped so much that I actually had a lot of fun. Otherwise, it would have been miserable. It's amazing how different your mental state becomes when you address the physical symptoms first.

I would highly recommend looking into beta blockers to aid. Perhaps just at first, to get more comfortable. Good luck.

 

[curlycity]

The amount of speaking will vary a lot per teaching style, e.g. we have informal speaking all the time in our PBL groups, about 3-5 minutes once a week, and we also have to present patients right off the bat in a small group setting. I use both to keep to my routine & practice for the formal presentations that are coming up, i.e. making an outline of what I'm going to say with bulleted points and then details listed as one-word triggers, all on one small index card. That will help you get used to organizing your thoughts and facing an audience, and then larger groups are simply more of the same, no sweat. At my school, the only formal presentations seem to be things you sign up for, not mandatory events. But keep in mind, the 'informal' speaking is part of our grade, so it can be stress-inducing as well!

I totally agree that tape recording yourself is supremely helpful, as well as getting honest feedback. I saw myself on video and thought, a) my forehead is really shiny! and 2) I have a very high-pitched voice when I'm nervous. So I learned to deliberately lower my voice, which probably helps my audience be more at ease when not faced with Mickey Mouse. But I wouldn't have known that without the tape.

Another tip for public speaking - when I've been in front of truly humongous audiences, I literally could not see the audience at all because it was a darkened auditorium. That was disconcerting at first but then very liberating, because I just looked out in their general direction, gesturing and nodding, without getting distracted by seeing someone sleeping with their mouth open.

And about picking 3 friendly looking people - I always seem to get picked, then I feel a bit stared at the whole time, which distracts me from the presentation. Maybe pick more than three people, or look between people. Less distracting for you and the unfortunate friendly-looking people out there!

 

[Jack1919]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I realize that, by nature, public speaking is a very benign action/thing. A number of years ago in an episode of Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld talked about a poll that had been conducted in which Americans said that their number one fear was public speaking, and that the fear of death was number five. He said, "...that would mean that at a funeral, people are five times more likely to want to be in the casket than giving the eulogy." Nevertheless is scares the s*** out of me. I had one bad experience and I have avoided having to do anything of the sort since...

Anyway, so now I'm in this class for people who hate public speaking. They kind of hold your hand through the process while at the same time pushing us through all the sweaty hands and faux arythmias. After that, I think I'll join toastmasters and continue to push myself through this.

I don't know, it definitely helps to know I'm not the only one. Thanks!