Article archive / October 1, 2009
Originally published: . Volume 1, No. 2. Source pages: 12.
I enjoyed my oral defense of my dissertation. I respected the faculty on my committee, was passionate about my subject matter, and had prepared for a long time for the occasion. My major professor had been an English teacher and a Methodist minister before he began his career in psychology. He made sure my written words were precise and properly placed. He even supported my complex sentence structures, as long as they were correct grammatically. Best of all, he guided me with a caring, good-minister-like hand.
On that day I did my best to speak, with technical accuracy and scholarly authority, about what I had written. I fielded questions about my research design, data analysis, clinical relevance, and future studies. I talked about scientific hypotheses and statistical validation. Then, as our spirited discussion was winding down, my minor professor surprised me. He invited me to imagine that I was discussing my findings at a press conference.
I already was feeling confident enough to picture myself at a party, celebrating the end of my oral exam. To my amazement the image of talking to a group of reporters seemed to be even more exciting. I had just walked through the door to my future. After graduation I worked at hospitals, in private practice, and on university campuses, but all roads led to being in the media.
What about you? Did your oral exam include such a question? Did you welcome the idea of talking in front of microphones and cameras, or did you want to run to the nearest exit? Do you have an interest in presenting psychology to the public now? Would you prefer to have someone else convey what you think consumers need to know? Either way, I’d like to hear from you, off the record, for now at least.
Please send your comments to MediaServices@DrSusan Dardard.com, or call her at 225-635-4555.
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