Public speaking and leadership in implant dentistry: Have these skills been overlooked?

Objective

To describe the speaker and leadership development seminars during the 2023 EAO Summer Camp (SC).

Materials and Methods

In September 2023, 24 participants joined the SC organized by the EAO Junior Committee (JC) in Lisbon, focused on enhancing public speaking and leadership skills. Facilitated by two experienced trainers, the program aimed to evaluate the participants' progress through pre-, post-training “immediate” and “delayed” (3 months after the event) anonymous questionnaires. The JC formulated a survey (JCS) addressing aspects of public speaking, presentation skills and leadership, how important the participants considered them and what type of training in this field they had received thus far.

Results

Twenty-three participants responded to the pre- and immediate post-training surveys, 22 completed the delayed post-training survey and 20 completed the JCS. The findings revealed increased confidence and comfort in public speaking post-event, with sustained improvements over time, accompanied by positivity, pleasant feelings, and increased camaraderie. Post-training delayed results also showed that reduced symptoms of anxiety before a speech were reported. The JCS highlighted that many participants had not properly acquired public speaking skills during university. Similarly, 19 out of 20 participants felt that leadership skills were important in contemporary dentistry but not properly taught in dental school curriculums.

Conclusions

The 2023 EAO SC was a successful event providing advanced training in leadership and public speaking skills. However, a notable number of young dentists continue to experience anxiety when faced with presentations, indicating a potential need for additional training to relieve stress and enhance confidence.