The Patient Soundbite: How to Advocate for Yourself in the Exam Room

This week’s column features lessons and learnings from one of my favorite leadership coaches, Jamie McKinney, author of Speak Up Sister. This article is the first inspired by Jamie—but it certainly won’t be the last.

I met Jamie years ago during a leadership webinar, at a moment when my confidence had been shaken to its core. Earlier that day, I had been cut off in a particularly difficult meeting at work. The experience crushed me. I questioned myself, replayed the moment over and over, and could feel myself physically shrinking—shoulders hunched, voice gone.

Jamie happened to be hosting a leadership webinar that day—one I almost didn’t attend. I’m so glad I did.

Through Jamie’s teachings—lessons I continued to practice for years afterward—I rebuilt my confidence and found my voice again. Finding your voice is a skill; being heard is a practice. Over time, through her work, including the Three Pillars of Leadership and as a founding member of her Leadership Laboratory, I learned how clarity, preparation, and presence shape how we show up.

Jamie featured me on her podcast, where I talked about our journey as a leadership coach and student, this column, and one of the core lessons I discuss here.

Your Soundbite

How often have you—or someone you know—stumbled when asked, “So, what do you do?” It’s a deceptively simple question, yet many of us fumble through it as if we’ve never heard it before.

Jamie taught us that a soundbite doesn’t need to be complicated. It can be as simple as:

“My name is ___. I am a ___. I work at Company XYZ.”

You can add variations—a brief description of what your company does or the team you’re on—but the goal is clarity. When practiced, this short statement becomes second nature, allowing you to show up grounded, even when caught off guard.

Clarity is built through practice. Practice is what ultimately creates confidence. I can now answer “What do you do?” or “Who are you?” with ease—something that once felt surprisingly hard.

So, let’s put on our leadership gowns and try it out.

Leadership in the Exam Room

After moving across the country—yet again—I found myself in front of an entirely new care team. These clinicians didn’t know me or my medical history. I needed to communicate clearly, quickly, and confidently.

A few months ago, I underwent a procedure requiring anesthesia, performed by a doctor and care team I had never met. Before the procedure, I did three things:

1. I wrote down my key medical issues and concerns.
2. I practiced saying them aloud as a clear, concise soundbite.
3. I took a few deep breaths as I heard the doctors arrive at my bay.

When the anesthesiologist walked in, she acknowledged that I was a “special case.” I responded evenly and clearly:

“I’m Maggie. I’m in heart failure. I have a low ejection fraction and low blood pressure. I spoke with my cardiologist, and she advised me to skip my beta blocker this morning since my blood pressure runs low, so you have something to work with.”

She smiled, thanked me, and said she knew my cardiologist and agreed with the plan. She asked follow-up questions, and suddenly we were having a conversation—not a one-sided exchange in which decisions were made about me.

When I met the physician, I did the same thing.

“I’m Maggie. Here’s what you need to know.”

Because I was calm, concise, and practiced, I was able to participate in my care rather than feel swept along by it.

When Practice Slips

Shortly afterward, I had my first appointment with a new dentist—an environment that reliably makes me anxious. Despite all my soundbite preparation and recent success, nerves got the best of me.

Instead of being clear and confident, I completely unraveled and became incoherent. I rambled and overshared that my neighbor told me my former dentist was a swinger. We saw him when we were hiking right before my heart attack.  With all my babbling, it probably sounded like my swinger dentist caused the heart attack while we were hiking. I just couldn’t stop talking, adding information that wasn’t useful to our conversation.  

Thankfully, my new dental team showed grace, patience, and zero judgment. They calmed me down and took excellent care of me.  Looking back, I wish I had taken a few deep breaths before speaking and to calm down.

I also talked to Jamie about this situation, and in addition to taking deep breaths to reset, she also advised that it’s okay to pause in the moment. And to think of your breath as a buffer between what you were saying and what you’ll choose to say next. For example, inhale, exhale all the way out, and at the bottom of the exhale, choose your next thought. Perhaps something light-hearted, such as, “Ah, well, you’ve probably already heard this story. Moving right along.” Then invite in your own silence, allowing the other person to fill the gap. 

Try it Out

When nerves hit—or when we’re tired, unwell, or overwhelmed—our communication often becomes long-winded. Too many words. Tangents. Over-explaining. The core message gets diluted. In leadership, that can slow decision-making. In healthcare, it can delay care.

Preparation is a powerful leadership skill, one that goes beyond the office door and can extend past the doctor’s office door. When you prepare, you will advocate for yourself more effectively, especially in high-stress situations like an exam room. By creating and practicing your patient soundbite, you will be able to introduce yourself and your situation clearly, concisely, and confidently, ensuring your voice is heard and the conversation stays focused on what matters most.

Try it out.