Confidence is key

I always find it very hard when we have to do the Continuing Ed presentations or have to present on one of our patients when on prac. Even though I’m now 21, close to graduating as a physio, and I do know what I’m talking about, I still get really nervous and find it hard to deal with presenting in front of a group of people, even if it’s just an informal patient presentation with my supervisor and my peers. And I don’t think I’m the only one either. I don’t feel comfortable, get very nervous, start to confuse myself about where I’m up to, start to doubt myself and my opinion and then rush through to the end of the presentation.
As health professionals we will have to keep doing these presentations once we graduate and we will have to participate in “round table” discussions with other members of the allied health and medical professions regarding patient management and treatment. So it is very important that we are able to deal with speaking in front of people and be confident with our opinions, and be able to justify our decisions when under pressure. Whilst we have to do presentations as part of our course, we never really got taught any techniques to help us deal with this, or were given any advice about how to prepare yourself for that situation.
This is a pressing issue at the moment, since we just had our Sem 2 orientation and were told more about the PCR, which I think will be a good test of our knowledge and ability to justify our decision making. However I also think that there will be quite a few people, myself included, who will be, for lack of a better word, freaking out about an oral exam. I get worked up enough as it is about the thought of a Continuing Ed session!
It will be interesting to see what the PCR practice sessions involve, but for the moment I think it is important for us to remember that we are all adults now, we have a lot of knowledge and we are getting more and more experience as we get through our different pracs, so we need to reflect that in our presentations. Being confident, and always keeping in mind that we are (nearly) health professionals, with opinions that matter, should help keep the nerves at bay, especially if we are well prepared for whatever situation we are in. It also helps to keep in mind that when you are presenting a Continuing Ed session that your peers aren’t there to judge you and they won’t try to find fault with your presentation, they are simply there to listen and learn from you. So think back to those important lessons from women’s health and just remember to breathe...