The NUMBER ONE mistake made by residents

I recently sat in an M&M conference that was presented by an anesthesia resident. The content was just fine—it was well-researched and there were multiple learning points. But there was something that the presenter kept saying that, after a while, became quite distracting and ultimately downgraded the quality of the presentation. 

It's something that all of us do, and most of the time we’re not even aware that we’re doing it. But people who don’t have this habit sound more professional, polished, and competent. Here’s the good news: this habit can be corrected with a little bit of awareness and practice. So, what is this awful habit I’m talking about?

Saying the words “uh” and “um”.

You probably say these words hundreds of times a day, and no one notices. Listen mindfully, and you'll hear "uh" and "um" everywhere, everyday. They might even serve a purpose in conversation by connecting your sentences. But during a presentation or public speaking, saying “uh” or “um” in between your sentences sounds bad...real bad. It makes the speaker sound unsure, less confident, and less competent. 

So put a little bit of self-awareness into your speaking, stop saying “uh”, and instantly level up your public speaking game!