Presentations Count

Every formal presentation you deliver is a portfolio entry. Document each one: date, venue, title, audience size, and format. Distinguish between local (grand round), regional and national presentations in your portfolio — each carries increasing weight.

Oral Presentation Structure

Regardless of topic length, effective medical presentations follow a clear structure:

  1. Title slide: Clear title, your name, institution, date. No clutter.
  2. Aim / learning objective: One sentence. Tell the audience what they will gain.
  3. Background: Why this matters. Maximum 2 slides.
  4. Methods / case / findings: The core content. Be selective — you cannot include everything.
  5. Results / discussion: What did you find? What does it mean?
  6. Conclusions: 3–5 bullet points maximum. The slides your audience will remember.
  7. Questions: Prepare answers to likely questions in advance. It is fine to say "I don't know — that's a great area for future work."

Slide Design Principles

  • Maximum 6 lines of text per slide — less is more
  • Minimum 28pt font for body text (readable from the back of the room)
  • One idea per slide
  • Use images, graphs and diagrams — not bullet-point-heavy slides
  • Consistent colour scheme; avoid red/green combinations (colour blindness)
  • Know your slide deck without reading from the screen

Timing

  • A 5-minute slot = approximately 5–7 slides (not 20)
  • A 10-minute slot = approximately 10–14 slides
  • Always rehearse aloud at least twice — people consistently underestimate the time it takes
  • Arrive early to check AV equipment

Poster Design

A well-designed poster communicates your work in 3 minutes without you present. Principles:

  • Use a clear visual hierarchy: title → background → methods → results → conclusions
  • Results should dominate the poster — make figures large and clear
  • Limit text blocks; use bullet points
  • QR code linking to full paper or supplementary data is a modern addition
  • Standard size: A0 portrait (841 × 1189mm) unless specified otherwise

Grand Rounds — Making the Most of Local Presentations

  • Grand rounds and departmental presentations are accessible from FY1/PGY-1 — use them
  • Interesting cases, audit results and QI projects all make good grand round material
  • Ask your consultant to observe and provide documented feedback
  • Invite a colleague to critique your rehearsal