What, according to you, makes a lecture truly impactful?
Three things go into the making of a great talk:

1. Content
2. Visual presentation of information on the slides
3. Delivery

All these require thought, time, and effort. Few people can lecture extempore. Practice is non-negotiable –  no matter how experienced you are.

How do you prepare and structure your talk when addressing different types of audiences?
The content has to address the educational needs of the audience. Busy clinicians need practice points, undergraduates need concepts simplified, while postgraduates need more depth – the known with the unknown.
Speak for the audience – what they need to know. Do not succumb to the temptation of telling them what you know.

What are the common mistakes young doctors make while delivering lectures, and how can they avoid them?
Trying to tell everything at one go for fear of missing out. In a  20 or 30-minute talk, you can’t cover everything — and you shouldn’t.
Assess the educational needs of the audience and prune the talk. Prioritise the matter: what is ‘essential’ comes before what is ‘desirable’. Brevity is conducive to clarity—no data dumping.

Big NO: Crowded slides, too many colours, multiple fonts, unnecessary animations

How do you keep the audience engaged throughout the session?
Using inflection, eye contact, meaningful pauses, humour

What is your one key advice for postgraduate students who are about to give their first lecture?
Read the subject, understand the concept, keep the slides uncluttered, and rehearse. Put the learner first, always.

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough”-  Albert Einstein