Jameson’s Seminar for Dummies

How to Do A Great Seminar

1. Never ever start by apologizing.
2. Believe that you are providing something of value to the audience
   1. If not – re-do your seminar
   2. This should be your purpose/focus and not how you will look (it is not about you!)
3. The Fear Factor – overcome it by realizing you know more about your topic than 95% of the audience (maybe 100%)
4. Make sure you know more than 95% of the audience about your topic – UNDERSTAND what you are talking about
   1. Look for information with a floodlight and not a laser pointer
5. Resist the urge to listen to the voice that tells you something is not interesting and it causes you to skip ahead, you will lose your audience
6. Internal summaries (summarizing sections of the presentation) and transitions make the presentation
7. For those of you who “wing it” (i.e. don’t practice) – make sure that the first 3 minutes of your presentation is written out (not word for word, but completely planned)
   1. Make sure that you start off strong
8. Remember – people will take home your introduction and your conclusion – make these strong
9. DO NOT fall in love with your drug.  You are evaluating the drug not promoting it.  You will lose perspective and come up with a conclusion not supported by the data  (see below)
10. Evaluate clinical significance.  What difference will it make to the patient.
    

    How to Fail Seminar (It is difficult, but you can do it if you are determined)

    • Draw a conclusion that is not supported by your data
    • Don’t answer your clinical question
    • Do not plan your time carefully.
    • Present facts that you do not understand and cannot explain when questioned
    • Panic when you are asked one question you cannot answer , so you can’t answer the next three easy ones (nobody every failed from not being able to answer one question)