Step 1: Make a list of possible speakers to invite for a lecture at your school.

• Develop a list of speakers whom your chapter would be interested in inviting, making sure to include individuals from your local area as well as from around the country (if your institution can afford it!). Try to invite individuals whom students have not heard from in their previous classes.
• Show the list to your fellow chapter directors and faculty advisers. Ask them to supplement the list with names of people they know personally and would be willing to contact to convince them to speak at your school.

Step 2: Write excellent letters of invitation and employ good follow-up.

• Make these letters as formal as possible. Please see below for a sample invitation that you can adapt to your chapter’s specific needs.
• Be sure to send out invitations at least three months before the time of your lecture.
• Include your contact information, both email address and phone number.

Step 3: Set the date of the lecture with the speaker and take care of the logistics of the talk.

• Once the invited speaker expresses interest in giving the lecture, propose a set of dates and times for the talk. Once you have set a date and time, begin planning the logistics of the talk. Lunchtime lectures are usually better attended than evening lectures. Most students and faculty are tired or busy at the end of the day.
• Reserve the room where the lecture will be held. This room should have a podium as well as a projector screen and computer for the speaker to use PowerPoint slides.
• If possible, plan to provide light refreshments to lecture attendees. This will go a long way toward increasing attendance.
• Ask the lecturer if he/she would like to be introduced and, if so, ask for information for the introduction.

Step 4: Publicize widely!

• A lecture is a great opportunity to publicize your ImproveHealthCare.org chapter. Be sure to invite the entire student body, as well as faculty.
• Send out emails to listserves announcing the lecture. These emails should be captivating and should communicate the importance of attending the lecture.
• On the morning of the lecture, consider making an announcement at the beginning of classes in order to increase attendance.

Step 5: At the beginning of the lecture, publicize ImproveHealthCare.org.

• A lecture is sometimes the first introduction attendees may have to ImproveHealthCare.org. Their attendance at the lecture shows that they have an interest in health policy issues, and you should try to engage them as much as possible. Advertise upcoming events or case discussions. Give them your contact information. You might even mention opportunities for content development. It is critical that this event is used to expand the chapter as well as publicize future events.

Step 6: Think about developing a Q&A document following the lecture.

• Some speakers are interested in providing written answers to a series of questions posed by students after their lectures. This is also an effective learning tool.

Sample Speaker Invitation Letter

DATE

Joe Smith, PhD
Job Title
Address

Dear Dr. Smith,

On behalf of the Tosteson Health Policy Lecture Series Planning Committee, the health policy student group ImproveHealthCare.org, and our faculty sponsor, Dr. Barbara McNeil, I would like to invite you to Harvard Medical School as one of our speakers for this academic year.

The Tosteson Health Policy Lecture Series, supported by the Harvard Medical School Department of Health Care Policy, seeks to educate members of the Harvard Medical community about current health policy issues through discussions and lectures delivered by leading figures in their fields. This year, we have crafted the Lecture Series into a symposium entitled “Advancing Health Care Reform: Perspectives on Our Trajectory Toward Change.”

Given your role as . . . , we would like to invite you to speak about . . . The events on this date will be recorded and made available to the medical community at large.

We look forward to your response at your earliest convenience. Please contact me to discuss concerns, logistical questions, and any other information you would like regarding the event.

Sincerely,

Name
Contact Information