“How to article:” guidelines for serving on an expert panel

ABSTRACT

Academics in medicine are frequently asked to serve on panels to discuss their clinical, research, education, administrative or personal expertise. While panel discussions are often the highlight of a conference or event, in the medical literature, there is very little published on how an individual can effectively prepare and present as an expert panelist. This paper offers guidelines that will enable academics to prepare, deliver, and engage in active dialogue during a panel discussion. Specific tactics include how to accept invitations to serve on a panel, conducting pre-panel conference meetings and background research, preparing concise opening statements and new insights, connecting with the audience, answering questions in a collaborative spirit, and debriefing after the panel. These guidelines will be valuable to any individual invited to serve on a panel discussion and will promote future panelists in engaging in constructive and fulfilling dialogue, with the ultimate goal of leaving the audience with a greater understanding of the topic of discourse.

KEYWORDS:

• Panelist
• panel discussion
• expert panelist
• expert panel
• successful panelist
• pro panelist

Introduction

The panel discussion is a group of leaders or experts convened to ignite conversation, engage in discourse, and even spark debate in front of an audience with interest in a specific topic. Panelists often represent differing opinions and/or experiences about the topic of interest and participate in public discussion to help audience members learn. The term ‘panel discussion’ was coined in 1935 by Henry Overstreet who wrote, ‘The panel method is a kind of glorified conversation … [which] is one of the eminently civilizing processes in life. It has all the delight of generous give-and-take. And if it is a genuinely good conversation, it sends people away with a warm feeling not only that their own ideas have been clarified but that their understanding of other points of view has been broadened.’ [1] The purpose of the panel, indeed, is to provide real takeaway messages and instill further thinking about the topic among the audience that they can then apply to their general knowledge or even their scholarly work [2].

The panel discussion is traditionally the feature event at a conference, meeting, or convention. Panels bring experts to discuss topics (that can sometimes be controversial) and engage in public discourse, often drawing in sizeable crowds. These discussions can take place live and in-person, virtually, or in a hybrid format. Sometimes, discussions will be recorded and disseminated later.

The panel discussion is facilitated by a skilled moderator who asks the expert panelists questions to stimulate lively discussion. An effective moderator will not simply ask panelists to make sequential presentations, give individual interviews, or participate in question-and-answer sessions with the audience [2,3]; but instead will foster engaging conversation or spirited debate among panelists. The moderator will also ensure that all panelists have equal opportunity to contribute and raise points relevant to their expertise; all while monitoring the timing of the session [4]. While the role of the moderator is beyond the scope of this how-to paper, the interplay between the moderator and expert panelists is vital to a constructive panel discussion.

Being an expert panelist allows medical academics to reflect on personal experiences, provide insight to others, and help others to explore personal attitudes and beliefs. Serving on a panel discussion requires preparation and practice in four specific skill domains: questioning, listening, responding, and explaining [5]. To date, the medical literature is sparse with information on how to be an effective expert panelist. The following guidelines outline how academics in medicine can prepare for a panel discussion, model constructive debate for instructional purposes, and continue collaborative work with other panelists and audience members after the session.

Panel preparation

Accepting invitations

Being invited to serve as an expert panelist is a high honor, and some liken it to being asked to write a commentary on a scholarly publication. Therefore, if time permits, an invited panelist should seize the opportunity. Panels provide high visibility for the work of a medical academic and being a panelist expands one’s professional or academic network. Panel participation provides further public evidence of the panelist’s overall record of expertise in a niche [6], leading to the likelihood of being invited to give other presentations or take part in other panel discussions to reach a wider audience and advance one’s career [7]. Panel discussions that involve representatives from other institutions can ignite future research collaborations, grant partnering or even employment opportunities [6]. Students and trainees also become familiar with the major academics in a content domain and benefit from hearing different viewpoints during panel discussions [8].

Panelists will occasionally be invited to a discussion at the last minute. However, this should not diminish the honor of serving on a panel. In these situations, the panelist should confirm that they were selected because of the scope of their expertise, then accept the invitation if they have enough time to prepare. Shackleford writes, ‘I usually ask presenters not to dwell on the fact that he or she may be a replacement who was called in at the last minute (even if the change is obvious from the agenda). There is nothing that takes the energy out of a panel faster than a … panelist who starts the presentation by apologizing that he or she was a last-minute substitute. My advice to the presenter in these situations is to “fake it” because the audience will never know’ [3].

‘Manels,’ or all male panels, are occasionally, and most likely unintentionally, formed without the inclusion of women or individuals from populations commonly minoritized in academic medicine [9]. When invited to serve, that panelist should feel empowered to ask about diverse representation among other panelists. When diversity is lacking, the invited panelists can strongly consider declining the invitation to call attention to this oversight by employing an established pledge such as: ‘At a public conference I won’t serve on a panel of two or more people unless there is at least one woman involved, not including the Chair.’ [10] This type of pledge is endorsed by numerous high-ranking individuals, including Francis Collins, the Director of the National Institutes for Health [11]. We all must work together to promote diverse representation and inclusion in panels.

Pre-panel conference call

If not already scheduled, an invited panelist can ask for a pre-panel conference call with the moderator and other panelists. The pre-panel discussion call serves several purposes. First, the conference call allows the panelists to understand the audience, the goal of the panel discussion and the role of the moderator. Second, panelists will also learn the most important topics of discussion, the positions they are being asked to represent and the intended learning objectives for the audience [3]. Third, panelists will obtain a sense of how the discussion will flow and an understanding of the panels’ group dynamics [12]. Fourth, the pre-panel call is a time where the format (in-person, hybrid, virtual) and duration of the panel should be discussed, if not already clearly delineated in the invitation. If the session is part of a series, this is a time to clarify the objectives of the series and ask for access to recordings or transcripts of prior panel discussions in the series. Fifth, the physical set-up of the panel should be confirmed. Will it be a fireside chat or on a stage with a table? How will the microphones be positioned, and will all panelists have easy access to them? Ideally, there should be sufficient microphone coverage so that panelists and audience members can be heard on potential recordings of the discussion [3]. Understanding the nuances of format, flow and set up will allow for a more robust discussion at the event itself. The appendix summarizes the questions that should be answered during the panel discussion planning meeting [3,6,8,13].

Pre-panel research

The panelist will benefit by learning about co-panelists’ academic careers and work. Knowledge of co-panelists can facilitate discussion and be used to amplify areas of commonality or explain disagreement between panelists. In addition, by knowing areas of possible disagreement, a panelist can plan a dialogue that portrays that disagreement in a collegial manner. Internet resources such as Google, PubMed, and Twitter make it easier to gather the requisite background information about co-panelists to understand their biographical information, viewpoints, and prior work [14]. Alternatively, the panelists can share this information during the pre-panel conference call. Finally, the panelist should consider assembling and reading samples of the scholarly work of their co-panelists. This information will contribute to constructive academic debate [14].

Panelists should aim their discussion content on the expected needs of the audience. Conference marketing materials will provide demographic information about the target audience, such as their backgrounds, occupations, and roles and responsibilities. For instance, understanding if the audience is comprised of the lay public, physicians, researchers, students, trainees, academic faculty, or allied health professionals is helpful information in preparing content. Panelists should aim to ‘present a narrative that the least informed member of the audience can follow, while still being of interest to the more expert listener.’ [6]

Finally, writing annotated notes with references for at least three main talking points along with a list of anticipated questions from the audience can be helpful for some panelists [15]. These notes can be formatted as bullet points of main ideas or learning objectives using bold print or highlights with important points to make them easy to reference during a rapid flow of discussion. Above all, panelists should practice and rehearse their discussion points by speaking out loud, slowly and in a relaxed and conversational manner [6,8,16]. When time and resources allow, panelists may video record and watch themselves practice to ‘identify opportunities for improvement … recognize problematic patterns of speech and other behaviors of which they may be unaware, such as using fillers like “um” and “ah”’ [6,15]. Careful preparation, including research and practice, can reduce nervousness and ensure effective delivery on the day of the panel.

Panel presentation

Professional demeanor

Panelists should be self-aware about their behavior during the panel. Panelists should appear engaged and not distracted by their phone or email, even when they are not speaking [12–16]. Studies show that women are less likely than men to be addressed by their professional titles [17,18]. Consequently, panelists should model professionalism by addressing each other and the moderator with professional titles such as ‘Dr’ or ‘Professor’ until given permission to do otherwise. Individuals should also try to avoid excessive distractions from personal discomforts such as coughing by having lozenges or water available at their side [6]. Above all, panelists should assert expertise in a non-threatening manner. Be respectful of other panelists opinions, even offering such words as ‘I see where you are coming from, however, my experience is different.’

Information and message delivery

In their opening statements, expert panelists can demonstrate humility by thanking the panel host, conference, moderator, and audience for providing the opportunity to speak on this stage in a manner that is memorable to the audience [6]. Clark argues that concise, smart opening statements are more memorable even if another panelist later dominates the conversation [15]. Short biographical narratives that emphasize experiences, instead of personal titles, are more memorable and relatable to the audience. Creative, concise remarks linked to examples or stories can reinforce key concepts. Moreover, concise statements provide a professional courtesy to the moderator and other panelists to ensure that the discussion stays on track.

When delivering their message, panelists should be thoughtful and deliberate. Seals advocates a strategy of confirming or repeating the question, and then pausing briefly to formulate an effective response [6,19]. The panelist might start a response with, ‘That is an interesting question’ or”That is a very important question.” This validates that the audience too, even if not experts, has reasonable ideas. Panelists should be open and honest in the ideas that they share [2]. They should frame or integrate brief stories, cases or vignettes that are supported by data when answering questions. This will make responses more relatable and memorable for the audience [12,15]. If a panelist raises a controversial topic, they should prepare the audience by calling it out ahead of time. If a panelist does not fully understand a question from the audience, or if the question is off topic, they should provide a brief response and offer to speak after the panel discussion. On the other hand, if a panelist struggles with a question that is within the expertise of another panelist, that other panelist can politely add clarification and offer to provide another perspective. Having a pen and notepad available during the discussion can allow panelists to jot down ideas inspired by the conversation and then insert those into the discussion when appropriate [12]. When answering questions, panelists should look at the audience, not the moderator, unless they are responding to a question from other panelists. Above all, panelists should be attentive, present and engaged during the discussion [20].

Each panelist’s message should add constructively to the discussion. While it is easier to agree with key points offered by other panelists, it is appropriate to disagree as long as the message is contributing to the discussion in a constructive manner. Panelists do not have to answer every question or respond to every comment, but when the opportunity arises, they should try to contribute new pieces of knowledge to the topic [19]. Phrases such as ‘Let me add something to that idea’ or ‘We take a different approach at our [institution]’ may be used to transition from one topic to another or add to the posed question [2]. If a panelist opposes what is stated by another panelist, they should disagree diplomatically or ‘agree to disagree,’ to transition from one topic to another in a non-threatening manner [2]. A panelist can also simply say, ‘The question has been answered and for the audience’s sake, let us move on’ [21].

Panelists, above all else, should leave the audience with takeaways that bolster their understanding of a topic or contribute to improving their own academic work or scholarship. As a general rule, panelists should typically speak only when invited by the moderator, but should also feel free to give unobtrusive signals to the moderator when they would like to contribute to a particular topic that grows out of the discussion [22]. To show respect of the other panelists’ and the audiences’ time, panelists should keep responses boiled down to easily digestible, yet comprehensive take-home points, When a panelist has more to say on a topic, but are running out of time, they should state, ‘Happy to share more later if there is time’ or ‘I can discuss further with individuals offline afterwards.’

The presence of a high-profile panelist may make other panelists feel uncomfortable or nervous. In these situations, it is important for either the high-profile panelists or the moderator to amplify the work of the other panelists. This promotes a supportive atmosphere, promotes human connections, and helps put everyone at ease [3].

Post-panel follow up

When the panel concludes, panelists can offer their contact information for follow up questions or collaboration connections. When slides are used, contact information (or a QR code with this information) can be included. Finally, at the conclusion of the panel discussion, either the host or moderator should provide information about if and when the panel discussion recording will be posted so that one can review or send as a resource to colleagues.

Ideally, a debrief meeting should be scheduled. This is a time when networking and collaborations can be formed, such as writing a summary of the panel discussion for publication. In addition, this is a time to discuss opportunities to speak at co-panelists’ institutions, furthering the possibility of future collaborations.

Conclusions

Serving as an expert panelist is an honor and a method for showcasing an individual’s expertise beyond their traditional network. A successful panelist should concisely communicate key points to the proposed questions or discussion topics in a manner that amplifies others and contributes to a collaborative session. As Street wrote, ‘The panel form of discussion would seem to be suited to a nation that is attempting, not through dictatorship nor divine revelation, but through the combined thinking of its citizenry, to come to grips with its essential problems … it must produce citizens capable of thinking together’ [1]. We hope that these guidelines will be valuable to any individual who is asked to serve on a panel discussion and will promote future panelists in engaging in constructive and fulfilling discourse.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Appendix

Questions to ask in the pre-panel conference call

Appendix. Pre-Panel Conference Call Questions

Introduction

• Who will introduce the panelists (e.g., moderator or the panelists themselves)?

• Will panelists give opening statements? If so, what is the time allotted for opening remarks?

• If virtual, do panelists turn their cameras on only when they are speaking?

Panelist Portion

• Who will keep track of time?

• Are panelists permitted to ask questions or make comments during the discussion? If so, how and to whom should they indicate that they have something to contribute?

• Will panelists be expected to provide a closing summary?

• Are there questions that will be answered by every panelist or only certain individuals?

Audience Questions

• Is it possible to obtain a list of potential audience questions in order to prepare for the panel?

• Who will manage audience questions? How will this work in a virtual setting (if applicable)?

• If in a virtual setting, should panelists only keep their cameras on when they are answering questions?

Other Materials

• Are panelists expected to provide written materials for the audience?

• Do panelists need to provide slides for the discussion?

• How should panelist biographies be formatted for the conference/panel session?

• Will there be technological capability for videos, polling software, live remote demonstrations, etc?

Pertinent References

1. Shackelford K. Practical tips for effective panels. HeinOnline: Department of Justice Journal of Federal Law and Practice. 2018;66:27-34.

2. Seals D. Talking the talk: tips for effective oral presentations in biomedical research. Am J Phiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2022;323:R496–R511.

3. Bucy M. Encouraging critical thinking through expert panel discussions. Coll Teach. 2006; 54:222-224.

4. Arnold K. How to Prepare to be a Brilliant Panelist 2017. https://www.powerfulpanels.com/prepare-brilliant-panelist-steps/. (accessed 19 March 2023).