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 and is 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

·         Data visualization

·         Use of audiovisual technology

·         Public speaking

 

During the three-day program, participants will develop and deliver a ten-minute presentation on a topic of their choice. Each participant will receive personalized feedback on their presentation.

 

Program Fees

The July 2024 SIPS program is offered free of charge to UMass Chan faculty. To keep program costs low, the program will be offered during week-day work hours, and no CME will be provided. In 2025, the program will open to faculty from other institutions.

 

Program Acceptance & Participation

Interested faculty must complete an online application form to be considered for one of the six faculty slots. Faculty from the T. H. Chan School of Medicine, the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing are all encouraged to apply.

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 are opening the application portal and requiring faculty commitment to the program so early in the new year.

Apply HERE

Once accepted to the program, participation in SIPS consists of:

·         a one-hour virtual planning meeting in the spring (June 20, 2:00-3:00pm) to discuss the presentation development component of the program, and

·         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 20 @ 4pm & February 22 @12pm via Zoom (attend one).

Please register for a virtual information session here.

Please contact Emily Green with any questions.

Important Dates

February 20 @ 4pm & February 22 @12pm Virtual information sessions

March 18  Applications due

Early April  Program acceptances sent

June 20  Planning meeting for participants @2pm

July 24-26 Summer Intensive on Presentation Skills program (see course schedule for more detail)