1. Title (example: Our Incredible Research, and Why Yours Pales in Comparison)
Authors
(example: M. Lydia Darling MD, Penney T. Davis PhD, Perry C. Davis MSIV, C. Timothy Mustard DVM)
Institutions
(example: Spectrum Health-Butterworth Hospital,
College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University
Grand Rapids, MI)
Okay, let’s get to the meat of the matter. Your first slide should include the title, authors, and institutions. Hey, remember to include all authors! Yeah, you’re very important, but, c’mon, you didn’t do this all by yourself! Also be sure to list your program correctly. If you are a resident, you are in the GRMEP/MSU {fill in the blank} Residency. If the patient data are from Spectrum Health and/or Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, the appropriate institution(s) should also be listed. If you’re pressed for space to fit it all into the first slide, just put the title and the authors on the first slide, and the institutions on the second slide.

2. Significance (2 – 3 slides)
Appropriate attention getter
Rationale for the study
Study questions/hypotheses
Next comes your background or significance section. Usually 2-3 slides, but if you’re a little short on data, you can expand this area a bit. This usually comes right from the significance section of your proposal, where you describe the gaping hole that exists in the literature, leading up to a statement of the specific aims and/or hypotheses or the study. This last bit should have it’s own slide, so that it will stand out in the minds of your attendees.

3. Methods (2 – 4 slides) Study design Time period
Inclusion/exclusion criteria
Key variables
Definitions
Statistics
The methods section describes the study design for your project...you know, like a retrospective cohort design, or a randomized controlled trial. You also need to let people know the time frame for the study, as well as the inclusion and exclusion criteria. You should list the primary outcome variable, as well as secondary outcome variables of particular interest. Depending upon the type of variables you used, you may also need to provide definitions for the variables. Finally, you should provide a brief statement on the statistical methods used in the study.

4. Results (4 – 5 slides) If possible, use tables or figures
Don’t crowd the slide
Emphasize the points of interest
Differences
Similarities
What about your data? When possible, you should try to display your information as Tables or Figures. Don’t try to cram too much in. If it looks too crowded, split it into two separate Tables or Figures. Here’s where careful use of your pointer can help your audience focus in on your major points.

5. The Fabulous 3-D Chart!!!
Here’s an example of a 3D column chart, and these do look quite dramatic. It’s better to use these when you are displaying percentile or frequency data.

6. TML Dioxygenase/Actin mRNA Ratio
Control (n = 6)
Pivalate (n = 7)
Pivalate + Carnitine (n = 7)
TML Dioxygenase/Actin mRNA Ratio
However, if you need to show standard deviation or standard error bars, always use a two dimensional graph, or a Table. Error bars are much more difficult to read and interpret on a 3D graph.
Hepatic
Renal
Values represent mean+SEM

7. Satisfaction and Pain Scores
Sutures
Staples
P-value
Overall Satisfaction
4 (1 – 5)
5 (1 – 5)
0.38
Immediate Closure Satisfaction
0.06*
Current Closure Satisfaction
0.04#
Scar Satisfaction
0.32
Post-op Pain Severity
3 (1 – 5)
0.37
When doing Tables, provide adequate spacing so that all of the elements can be clearly seen.
All scores given as the median, with the range in parentheses
* Trended higher in sutures group
# Sutures group had higher values

8. Images Informative Visual variety Patient photos Radiographic images
How about images? Images are a great way to demonstrate a particular point, and also serve to provide some visual variety to your talk. One caution on photos...if you are using a photo with identifying features (for example, the face, a tattoo, or birthmark), you must have written approval from the patient. Contact the GRMEP Research Department for the appropriate form. Another caution on radiographic images...all patient identifiers must be removed prior to using the image on your oral presentation. If you’re not sure how to do this, let us know, and we can help.

9. Discussion (2 – 4 slides)
Discuss your results, relative to the current literature
Discuss possible limitations to your study
Sample size too small
Retrospective design
If applicable, discuss the next phase of the project
The discussion section is where you relate the data you obtained in your study to the information currently available in the literature. This is also a section where you might make mention of possible limitations to your study. Examples might be that your sample size may have been too small, or that a retrospective study design was used.

10. Conclusions (1 slide) The big finish
No matter how weak your data, always include a conclusions slide
Don’t forget to wrap things up at the end. You should always have a conclusion slide or slides at the end of your talk, to make sure to hammer your major points home.

11. Acknowledgments Last or second slide of the talk
Credit for folks who have helped, but who are not authors, such as those who provide:
Funding
Technical Services
Materials, stats analysis, editing
What comes next? Some people like to put the acknowledgment slide as the second slide, but my preference is to put it last. Either location is fine. Who do you acknowledge? This is where you give kudos to people who aren’t authors, but who have provided help in the project, such as those who provide funds, technical services, materials, statistical analysis, and editing.