'Communicating Science and Health' workshop set for Oct. 23

The WVU Health Sciences Center's Office of Interprofessional Education will offer an "Communicating Science and Health: An Interprofessional Workshop for Faculty" Friday, Oct. 23, in room 2940, located on the second floor of HSC North.

Two workshops will be available. The first will run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m., while the second will be 2-5:45 p.m.

The goal of the workshop is to help faculty to learn to communicate more effectively about healthcare and science with people outside their field, including the general public, students, policy makers, the media, potential employers or funders, and prospective collaborators in other disciplines. Through discussion and practice, the workshop will focus on building fundamental skills – knowing and connecting with the audience, and speaking clearly and conversationally about healthcare and health professions.

One workshop session is "Improvisation for Scientists," which is pioneered by actor and science advocate Alan Alda. Using improvisational theater exercises to help participants connect more directly and spontaneously with different audiences, this session will help attendees pay close, dynamic attention to others and become more aware of the two-way nature of communication: What is received counts more than what is said. Through the course of training, participants will investigate body language, listen with more awareness and respond with greater sensitivity.

Another session will be "Distilling Your Message," which will help participants learn to speak clearly and vividly about their work and why it matters, in terms non-medical professionals can understand. Participants will practice finding common ground, engaging their listener, speaking at different levels of complexity for different audiences and using storytelling techniques.

For more information, contact IPE Program Coordinator Chuck Coole at ccoole@hsc.wvu.edu or 304-293-8050. View the flyer or register.