[Lecture disasters - and how to prevent them]

Presentations at medical conferences can sometimes confuse or compromise understanding of current topics. Although considerable time and financial costs may be taken to be present at such events, all too often one must go through inferior presentations that are poorly structured and do not contribute to one's understanding of the topic at hand. A good presentation is distinguishable by the clear intentions of the speaker to give a good lecture. The presenter has worked extensively with his topic and is familiar with the audience. The presentation has a clear structure and finishes with a take-home message. The speaker takes the listener from his previous level of knowledge to a new understanding. To do so, both voice and body language are used. The supporting slides are simple and direct, and not overloaded with information. The speech conforms exactly with the pre-determined time limit.