The ART of PRESENTATION
This is something very important that even I have not fully mastered yet. It takes time and practice.
It pays to look confident. Sometimes under tremendous stress and the “huh” and “erm” and the “???” look on your doctors/fellow friends can be really stressful. Try not to lose your cool. Take deep breaths. Treat your audiences like mushrooms.
Sometimes the look of your doctor can be very pressurizing too. When they ask you questions and you do not really know, it can be very hard to maintain eye contacts. A technique I often found useful was to look at a point in between the eyes (i.e. the top of their noses…ha)
Always organize and categorize your answers, when asked questions like “What are the causes of Clubbing of the fingers”, DO NOT immediately list down all the different kinds of clubbing. Instead say something like, “causes of clubbing can be divided into cardiovascular causes, respiratory system causes…etc” or like “what are the side effects of steroid medication” answer like “there are metabolic side effects, muscular/bone side effects, side effects involving the eye…etc”
In fact you should actively categorize your knowledge. For one, it sounds impressive and more “seh” when you present, for also, by categorizing you learn better and faster.
“Presentation is not about showing the doctors how much you know, it is to hide how much you don’t”
KC, Year 5 medical student
* A good book to get to learn the art of presentation can be taken from the very first few chapters of Examination Paeds. Never mind if you’re not doing paeds! Just look through the first few chapters of that book! =D
Index Overview of M3 Basics General Hospital Layout General pointers in clinical work
Main Objectives of the various postings Books Case Write-ups Presentations
On-line resources General Tips for Exams Ethics