Summer Intensive for Presentation Skills
Program Description
Presentation skills are essential in academia.
The ability to present information clearly and concisely is an essential academic skill that cuts across all disciplines, departments, and academic ranks. Presentation skills are an important component of educational effectiveness and leadership, and are implemented in numerous academic contexts including lecturing within a course, grand rounds presentations, oral conference presentations, keynote or invited talks, job interviews, and meeting facilitation.
Presentation skills can be taught.
While traits such as “charisma” may be innate, the development and delivery of high-quality presentations require skills that can and should be mastered. Our trainees and audience members deserve to be on the receiving end of thoughtful content organization, evidence-based slide design, masterful use of technology, and dynamic delivery. These elements promote learning.
Overview
UMass Chan Medical School’s Summer Intensive for Presentation Skills (SIPS) is a three-day in-person program for faculty interested in improving their ability to design and deliver outstanding presentations. SIPS is the only training program of its kind designed specifically for faculty in the health professions and biomedical sciences.
It is NOT the intent of this program to turn medical educators into motivational speakers. It is NOT the intent of this program to turn faculty into graphic designers. The goals of the SIPS program are to train faculty to present dense, complex content in ways that directly facilitate learning and engagement, and to think critically about the content and delivery of academic presentations.
The program includes training on the following elements:
· Content selection and organization
· Purpose and use of learning objectives
· Integration of opportunities for active learning
· Evidence-based principles of slide design
· Presenting on virtual platforms
· Communicating with data
· Use of audiovisual technology
· Public speaking
During the three-day program, participants will develop and deliver a short presentation on a topic of their choice. Each participant will receive personalized feedback on their presentation.
Program Acceptance & Participation
The SIPS program is purposefully designed as a summer course to minimize competition with other faculty development programs and professional commitments. We understand that summer vacation plans are often made well in advance, which is why we open the application portal and require faculty commitment to the program so early in the calendar year.
Interested faculty must complete an online application form to be considered for one of the ten faculty slots. (Note: Several slots will be held for UMass Chan faculty and affiliates from the nursing, medical and graduate schools.) We welcome applications from individuals with faculty appointments at other accredited health professions institutions.
Program Fee
We have intentionally kept program costs low in recognition of reduced professional development allocations nationally, and the program is provided free of charge to UMass Chan faculty. The program fee for the three-day program is $500 for non-UMass Chan faculty. The fee includes two light meals per day. To keep program administration costs low and to avoid passing along these costs to participants, the program is offered during the week and CME is not provided. Travel costs are not included (for those participants traveling to UMass Chan in Worcester, MA there is a hotel option within walking distance of the campus). Program fees for non-UMass Chan faculty ($500) will be collected after program acceptance decisions in April 2026.
Applications for SIPS 2026 are open!
Once accepted to the program, participation in SIPS consists of:
- A one-hour virtual planning meeting in the spring
- Submission of sample slide decks pre- and post-program
- Three full days of in-person didactics, discussion, and project work
SIPS participants must commit to attend all program components. Participants must bring with them a personal device with access to presentation software such as PowerPoint or Google Slides.
For more information
Information sessions for interested faculty will be held on February 25 @4pm & February 26 @12pm via Zoom (attend one). Register for an information session HERE.
Please contact Emily Green (Emily.Green@UMassmed.edu) with any questions.
Important 2026 Dates
February 25 @ 4pm & February 26 @12pm Virtual information sessions (attend one)
March 20 Applications due
April Program acceptances sent; Program fees for non-UMass Chan faculty collected
June (Date TBD) Virtual planning meeting for participants to discuss the project component of the program
July 22-24 Summer Intensive for Presentation Skills program