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December 1, 2024
BehindTheMedspeak: Grand Rounds Bingo — 20 Essentials for a Truly Forgettable Presentation
Leo Gordon created this useful set of guidelines, published 15 years ago in the October 2009 issue of Anesthesiology News.
Nothing's changed.
He wrote, "By analyzing many bad talks, I have formulated 20 essential rules for delivering a mediocre and sometimes horrible presentation. If you follow these essential elements of a bad talk, I can assure you that your talk will be bad — possibly even very bad — a talk that will enter the pantheon of truly horrible presentations."
Those in fields other than medicine (law, academia at large, business, etc.) can adapt these excellent precepts to their own particular ends.
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1. Allow a lengthy introduction
2. Begin or end with "It is an honor, pleasure and privilege to be here today"
3. Use phrases like "It goes without saying," "At the end of the day," "Having said that," and their ilk
4. Include a reference to last night's lavish dinner
5. Include any of the following in the title of your address: "Concept," Approach," "Modality," "Current" and their ilk
6. Refer to little known academicians by their first names
7. Use a golf or tennis reference
8. Do not meet with the audiovisual crew before your presentation
9. Speak longer than 30 minutes
10. Use a weather reference
11. Read your slides to the audience
12. Look at your slides as your are reading them
13. Go mind-numbingly deep into your own research
14. Use references more than five years old
15. Use a personal reminiscence involving the physician who invited you to speak
16. Use a cartoon
17. Use goofy animation
18. Refer to your family, a luxurious vacation or your hobby
19. Use DMV eye test type size
20. Compliment the residents with whom you just made rounds
December 1, 2024 at 04:01 PM | Permalink