How to Create an Engaging Lecture, Even in the Zoom Age

In medicine, one thing you cannot avoid is giving presentations. It is both exciting and nerve-wracking to present to colleagues, attendings, and friends. Yet some doctors are extremely talented at holding captive audiences. Host Dr. Ranjita Raghavan chats with the incomparable Dr. Anand Swaminathan (aka Swami) to give us the scoop on how to make an excellent, engaging lecture in person and on Zoom.

How to Create An Engaging Lecture, Even in the Zoom Age 

Overview
Keeping the attention of a group of busy physicians can be a challenge in optimal conditions. In the age of remote meetings, it's important to level up. These tips will help you create presentations that captivate your audience.

Top Tips for Standout Lectures

• Find something within a topic that interests you. Do not try to cover everything. Pick 3 main points you want to get across to the audience.
• Start early – about 6-8 weeks before your presentation is due – and leave lots of time for practicing. Consider forming a group that you can practice with.
• Aim for shorter than your allotted time. This allows for Q-and-A, audience discussion, and unplanned tangents - yet still lets you close the lecture on time. 
• Start planning your talk with pen & paper and no technology. Try mind mapping to let yourself be creative with the topic. Then outline and write your talk all before you ever even open Powerpoint.
• Your slides should complement your talk, not be the focal point with all your text and notes on them. Slides should contain minimal words, and the images should all be high resolution.
• For Zoom, all the above advice is even more important because there are more distractions at home. Also realize that you do not need to do a standard lecture, you could use the opportunity to do a flipped classroom or a Q-and-A style session.