{"id":642,"date":"2016-12-10T14:01:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-10T14:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ffolliet.com\/staging\/?p=642"},"modified":"2026-04-03T12:59:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T12:59:03","slug":"vegemite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ffolliet.com\/staging\/vegemite\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest post on vegemite and presentations"},"content":{"rendered":"

In \u00a0the next in an ever increasing group of guest posts is a piece from\u00a0Cian McDermott a friend and collaborator working in Melbourne, Australia. Cian has taken up the challenge of improving his presentation and gives his view on the issues he faced in delivering a presentation and how that relates to vegemite, leftover brewers’ yeast extract.<\/p>\n

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What do Vegemite and FAST have in common?<\/b><\/p>\n

That was my question to our ED registrars to kick off a morning ultrasound teaching session.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"vegemite<\/p>\n

I had scoured the neighbourhood corner stores in search of a tube of Vegemite (despite being an Australian culinary obsession, Vegemite in a tube can be surprisingly difficult to track down). At this point, I brandished it from my pocket for maximal dramatic effect to the unwitting and still sleepy junior doctors. Ta da!\u00a0<\/span>This was my rather feeble attempt at a <\/span>STAR moment<\/span><\/a> (something they will always remember) to enhance active audience engagement and get them to sit up and take notice of my message. Like many others and for as long as I can remember, I have been nervous when speaking in public, especially to a medical audience. I guess this may be because we view ourselves as teachers (therefore liable to be judged and evaluated by our peers) and not a presenter, on stage to tell a convincing story.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Keen to try out some more p cubed skills, guided along the way by Ross and <\/span>#htdap<\/span><\/a>, I volunteered to talk at an event – Mayo Clinic Social Media and Healthcare Summit, in my adopted hometown of Melbourne<\/span><\/p>\n

I had done my preparation – spent lots of time doodling with a pencil and paper <\/span>storyboarding<\/span><\/a> my first thoughts. I find slide design fun so this step was quick and it evolved alongside P1. <\/span>P3<\/span><\/a> is my personal snakepit. I wanted to make sure that my performance was as smooth as possible so the message resonated and was not deflected. In the weeks leading up to the talk, I had delivered the presentation first in front of our cat Harry then graduated to a lecture theatre at my hospital before my colleagues. I even tracked down a voice coach to help with stage presence. A series of improv classes I hoped would help make me <\/span>freer and looser<\/span><\/a> on stage. On the morning of the event I sneaked away to the bathroom cubicle to indulge in some <\/span>power posing<\/span><\/a> to drain away my nerves<\/span><\/p>\n

In the end, it was the audience reaction that caught me completely by surprise. <\/span><\/p>\n

A kind stranger came to me at lunch to tell me that my talk was her \u201clightbulb moment\u201d. This has never happened to me before! Maybe the way I told the story had actually influenced someone. Maybe the message had actually<\/span> resonated<\/span><\/a> with the audience?
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Brilliant @cianmcdermott<\/a> #MayoInOz<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/IHS8enP8va<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 it me, ash \ud83d\udc81\ud83c\udffc (@ashsparkle) November 15, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n