Therapy for "Butterflies"

The Texas Medical Center recently added a new group of specialists when the Medically Speaking Toastmasters club, the Texas Medical Center chapter of Toastmasters International, was formed.

This group of medical center personnel has discovered a way to fight those pesky butterflies that appear when a person has to speak in public, and offers a supportive, positive, and most of all, fun environment for building strong communication and leadership skills.

In this world of fast-paced technology, there is a need for good communicators and leaders. A person with strong communication skills has a clear advantage over tongue-tied colleagues - especially in a competitive job market.

Toastmasters International, a nonprofit educational organization, has been working for more than 70 years to provide for this need and help people conquer their pre-speech jitters. From one club started at the YMCA in Santa Ana, Calif., the group has grown to become the world’s largest organization devoted to developing public and interpersonal communication skills.

Medically Speaking Toastmasters, Club #5698, is just one of the more than 8,900 clubs which currently exist in 70 countries. The members invite anyone working, studying, or living in the Texas Medical Center to join them for one of their weekly meetings.

Upon joining a Toastmasters club, members progress through a series of 10 speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking.

When finished with the basic speech manual, members can select from among 15 advanced programs to develop speaking skills that are geared to specific career needs.

There is no instructor in a Toastmasters club. Instead, members evaluate one another’s oral presentations. This evaluation process is an integral component of the overall educational program. Besides taking turns delivering prepared speeches and evaluating those of other members, Toastmasters give impromptu talks on assigned topics giving members a chance to "think on their feet." They also develop listening skills, conduct meetings, and learn parliamentary procedure.

For those who find themselves developing a case of the "butterflies," consider joining members of Medically Speaking Toastmasters any Tuesday evening from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in classroom 132 at The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston, located at 6516 M.D. Anderson Blvd. Look for the East entrance where M.D. Anderson Blvd. and Moursund intersect, and use the doors located near the circle drive.

For more information about Medically Speaking Toastmasters, contact Kim Shilling, vice president of Education, at (713) 798-8348. Information can also be requested through e-mail at shilling@bcm.tmc.edu.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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