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Present That Paper in 10 Minutes

The Idea

Picture this: It's 7pm at a work dinner. You've been awake since 4am. You're starving.

And your co-resident is 25 minutes deep into their journal club presentation. The waitress thinks she's being helpful by not bringing out dinner until he's done.

We all read the paper, dude. Get to the point.

Here's the thing: You can present any paper in under 10 minutes. 5 minutes with tight editing. 2-3 minutes if you just hit the highlights.

That leaves time for actual discussion—the interesting part—while everyone eats.

This framework comes from Schwartz et al.'s 2007 paper—battle-tested for 15+ years at NYU School of Medicine and throughout the world.

Schwartz MD et al. Evid Based Med. 2007;12:66-68

Skip to Prep Your Paper
Step 1

Start with the case that brought you here

Don't dive into methods. Start with a patient or problem that made you curious. This turns your presentation into a story, not a book report.

Were you assigned this paper? Fine. Two choices:

1. Reference a prior patient—you've seen one before that fits the bill, right?

2. Be honest, but figure out why it was assigned. There's a clinical need or it wouldn't have been brought up.

Example

"My attending just put a TEVAR in a patient with an uncomplicated type B dissection, saying it would 'prevent the aorta from dilating later.' I wasn't so sure that was true."

Skip to Prep Your Paper
Step 2

How you found the paper

One sentence. Shows you did the work and models good search behavior for others.

Example

"I searched PubMed for 'type B dissection,' 'TEVAR,' and 'aneurysmal degeneration'— and found this systematic review that looked at exactly my question."

Skip to Prep Your Paper
Step 3

Describe the study + research question

Give the "standard descriptors" (study type, setting) then state the PICO question. Think of this as the article's "chief complaint."

Example

"This was a systematic review asking: Does TEVAR prevent aneurysmal degeneration in patients with type B aortic dissection?"

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Step 4

Why this question matters

1-3 sentences of context. What do we already know? What gap does this fill?

Pro tip: Steal this from the authors' introduction—they already wrote it.

Example

"TEVAR works great for complicated type B dissections. But people started using it in uncomplicated patients hoping to prevent late aneurysm formation—without much evidence."

Skip to Prep Your Paper
Step 5

Methods via PICO details

Expand the PICO: Who exactly? What intervention vs. comparison? What outcomes, over what time?

Example

P: Patients with type B aortic dissection (acute and chronic, complicated and uncomplicated) across 17 studies.

I/C: TEVAR vs. historical data (IRAD registry: 27.5% dilation at 1 year, 20% requiring reintervention with medical management alone).

O: Thoracic and abdominal aortic growth over variable follow-up periods.

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Step 6

Validity check

The questions depend on study type:

RCT: Randomized? Concealed? Blinded? ITT? Complete follow-up? Groups similar at baseline?

Cohort: Similar groups? Exposure measured same way? Outcome assessed blindly? Follow-up adequate?

Systematic review: Comprehensive search? Clear inclusion criteria? Quality assessed? Homogeneous enough to pool?

"Statistics are a tool while study methods rule!"

Example (Systematic Review)

"PRISMA-compliant search, clear inclusion criteria. But data were too heterogeneous to pool—different definitions of 'growth,' different follow-up periods. The authors acknowledge this as a major limitation."

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Step 7

The results—bottom line

State the primary outcome clearly. When possible, calculate absolute risk reduction and NNT. For negative studies, be clear about what the study failed to show.

Example

"Thoracic aortic growth occurred in 6.6% to 84% of patients post-TEVAR. Abdominal growth in 10-54%. This was a negative study: the authors could not find evidence that TEVAR prevents aneurysmal degeneration."

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Step 8

Can you apply this to your patients?

External validity. Are your patients different enough that results don't apply? What adjustments might you need?

Example

"This review applies to my patient, although the heterogeneity means I can't parse out differences by patient subgroups. Still, the overall message holds: no evidence that TEVAR prevents dilation."

Skip to Prep Your Paper
Step 9

Your decision—resolve the case

Come back to your opening patient. What will you do? Give listeners closure.

Example

"I'd push back on the idea that TEVAR 'prevents' late complications in uncomplicated dissections. These patients still need lifelong surveillance. TEVAR isn't a set-it-and-forget-it solution."

Skip to Prep Your Paper
That's it

Make a 1-page handout

This becomes your presentation notes AND a storable record for the group.

10 minutes easy. 5 minutes with tight editing. 2-3 minutes hitting just the highlights.

Now everyone can eat while you discuss what actually matters.

Prep Your Paper

← Back to Learn
The patient/problem that brought you here
Study type and PICO question
Context from the intro
Bottom line with absolute numbers/NNT
Can you apply this to your patients?
Resolve the case
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