The process of instructing doctors on communication resembles the training birds undergoes to fly. All doctors are taught communication skills as a fundamental part of a prelicensure doctor program and then trained again in their post-licensure programs, workshops, continuing programs of education, and meetings. A good number of medical practitioners would feel insulted if anybody attempts raising the matter on communication because it implies that the individual has a deficiency in one of the most vital aspects of medical care. Hence, communication is a matter that is taken very seriously in the medical field. However, the challenge with good communication lies in the fact that, ironically, it is easy to discuss good communication, but putting it into practice is a serious problem. Consequently, in literature, several articles offer opinions about communication, both lay, and expert. Nonetheless, there is little evidence on communication practices that have portrayed an impact on the outcomes of patients. In this regard, the purpose of this assignment is to depict that communication skills seminars play a critical role in the development and practice of good communication skills.
Process and reflection notes
Few days before the seminar, I was anxious and concerned about it. I tried to reduce my fear by consulting colleagues who had attended a communication seminar before, only to get a negative impact. I found myself in a group of around 15 students, of which, I just knew one of them. Accordingly, my anxiety increased due to loneliness. However, it dawned on me that I had to deal with students that I did not know, I had to get to know all of them, and I had to focus on my challenges. It is after coming to terms with these facts that I decided to get over all my concerns and be confident.
In the beginning, I was worried about the small groups' sessions because I was going to be away from my friends with which I was comfortable with. However, once we met for the first time, everything changed. I started to cope with the situation. Our primary activity was small interviews with students to enable us to know each other. Then each student had to talk about the student he interviewed by providing brief details and some personal comments. My partner was Adam, and I had not met him before. We struck a friendly conversation and got to know each other. We talked about our similarities as medical students, our goals, and hobbies.
I was the first one to present my partner's details. When I stood at the front, I realised that I am a shy person because I was not that comfortable talking in front of the students and my tutor- this may be because it was the first time to stand and speak in front of a crowd, however small it was. I overcame the shyness, and this helped me in pulling my nerves together and calming myself. I had to do it because I wanted to discard this character or feeling and develop an aura that I would refer to whenever I had to speak in front of people. Moreover, I thought it was the best time and the perfect environment to work on eliminating this fear of public speaking.
During the activity, I focused on how the other students presented their interviews and tried to gather some information about their presentations. I also observed that all the group members enjoyed this activity and we were all interested in knowing each other. Sometimes, it may be difficult to know many people at once, but this process made it much easier for us. After this activity, I felt a spark of desire to make new friends. After all, I was going to be away from my old friends. Thus, it was one of the ways to get rid of shyness or to reduce it. The process of making new peers was challenging because of my different background and nationality. However, I did not let these facts stall me. I used them as strengths to make new friends and to share different ideas. Also, I had made a calculated decision to spend most of my time with my new friends. I made this resolution for many reasons including, improve my communication skills during and after the sessions, know some information about Malta, Maltese people, as well as their traditions and reduce my shyness.
After the first day's session, I had dinner with my new friends before we could walk beside the sea and share about different aspects in a bid to know each other better. I was happy since all the anxiety was diminishing as time passed by. Further, I felt proud of myself for breaking the ice between many students and me during the first day, a fact that made me more excited and calm for the rest of the days. Also, I observed the same feeling with my group members.
The first day had been a success because before it, I was not able to control my shyness, I did not know how to strike a conversation with strangers, I did not have excellent interviewing skills, and I only had Arab friends. However, I had gained experience on how to control my fear and shyness, and I had acquired many skills, one of them being interviewing proficiency. Consequently, I had improved my communication skills, which were pivotal in making new peers. Besides, they will be beneficial in future as a medical student because I will be dealing with different patients, diverse ages and varied ways of thinking. Also, I learned how to introduce myself to people, how to start a conversation and at the same time, how to gather information about a group of individuals. I made real attempts to apply everything I had learned with my group members as a way of putting the newly acquired skills into practice and making them more accessible for myself in the future.
The second day started with excitement. I had my breakfast with some of my group members and their friends. They looked more comfortable than they were on the first day. After breakfast, we went to the small group session. We did a fantastic activity that entailed one of the students sitting down on a chair in the middle of the room, with the rest of us encircling him/her. The tutor expected us to guess the student's speciality, based on our expectations and the individual’s characteristics. The activity was an enjoyable one to start with, and as I could notice, it influenced us positively. Notably, it intensified our excitement for the whole day. I acted differently during this session, made real attempts to interact with the entire group and tried to be an active participant.
Our topic for the session was about empathy, which refers to understanding and sharing the feelings of another person as explained by our tutor. Then we talked about physical empathy and how it relates to the doctors-patients relationship. We shared our experiences on empathy and discussed how it affects us. Consequently, I discovered that it depended on a person’s closeness with another. A case in point regards the empathy I have towards my mother, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. I tend to feel her pain and suffering, especially after the chemotherapy, though I could not share my experience with my friends.
In the discussion on physical empathy, we explored how some of us could not do surgery for a child. Physical empathy is a type of non-verbal communication, for example, how a mother feels her baby’s needs. Since we would be doctors, it was essential for us to know how to control our physical empathy while performing our day to day activities because we were going to encounter a substantial number of patients. Some of them might look good, despite suffering from serious diseases such as cancer. The tutor encouraged me to possess some empathy, but be in a position not to get upset or think about such patients for the rest of my career. Before the tutor’s talk about empathy, my understanding to this virtue was exclusive to my family members and people I love. I was only empathic towards them, and I did not care about other individuals that much. I had not associated personal feelings towards patients. However, after the tutor’s talk, I formed a broader picture of what empathy was and how it affects our emotions. Moreover, I learned how these sentiments are linked to our hearts by the vagus nerve, a reason that sometimes makes us feel a heavy load on our hearts. Consequently, I learned how to control my empathy towards someone and how to deal with it in the medical field. Notably, it came out that I ought not to take other people’s issues and make them mine. Instead, I should help them to deal with their problems. Also, I learned patients need the best care. Besides, it was critical to master the art of breaking the bad news to the patient, his/her relatives, and friends.
Later, we had the doctors’ talk. They were professional practitioners with sufficient years of experience. They narrated to us an array of situations that they went through. Also, they explained the importance of communication skills and the consequences of miscommunications. I enjoyed the speech, so did my colleagues, because we all paid attention to the speakers keenly. I was very impressed by the confidence and expertise that those professionals portrayed while talking in front of us. Accordingly, I made a pact with myself that one day; I would rise to their position. The doctors also narrated stories that I am likely to encounter in future. I gave them my adequate attention to absorb as much knowledge and skills as they were willing to instil in me. I learned a lot from them, and this includes the tip that preparation and practice are crucial in improving communication skills. Additionally, reflection is necessary as it helps in self-evaluation and in getting the best advantages of personal experiences.
Miscommunication can happen between the medical staff, for example between a doctor and a nurse. Also, it can happen between medical practitioners and patients. Both types of miscommunication must be prevented because the lives of patients lie in the hands of healthcare givers. Moreover, it is our responsibility to offer patients the best care. The sick come to healthcare facilities with pain, but as a doctor, I have to understand them and be aware of their feelings and emotions. Additionally, I have learned that the voice tone is fundamental in communication skills. I have learned that using straightforward language and phrases helps to keep the patient comfortable and aware of what is happening. One word can affect communication. Further, as a doctor, I should not be judgemental, but be careful with the first impression because it can be right or wrong. I have to be cautious with my feedback to patients because they are not my friends and so picking the appropriate words is critical. Also, I have to establish a line between my patients and me. Consequently, I have learned more aspects such as how I to deal with severe patients, how to reply to bad words, and how to apologise to patients. Overall, the doctors' speeches were the best I have had the privilege to hear because I acquired more valuable information all on a golden plate. One thing sticks to my hand; communication is a crucial process because you give an instruction, get a reply and then provide feedback.
The second session of day 2 was the best. We talked about subjects that I am not familiar with, and I had never discussed these issues in public before. We talked about paedophilia, which is a psychiatric disorder though it is also considered as a crime. The discussion was on how to treat this medical condition. Should the patients be given medication in the usual way or as criminals? It was an excellent discussion because I heard a lot of opinions and expressed my mine without being shy. Typically, when we discuss such topics in class, I do not participate, but during this discussion, I broke the ice and shared my opinions with my colleagues. The session changed me to an open-minded individual. I have learned that as a doctor, being kind to patients is a virtue. During this activity, I realised how much I had improved my communication skills in just a day and a half because I was continually challenging myself.
After this helpful and useful session, we started to prepare for our short show. In the beginning, I did not want to participate since it was my first time to act on a stage in front of hundreds of students. However, I ignored this feeling to remain in my comfort zone the same way I decided on the first day, leaving no room for shyness and fear. I enjoyed the preparation, and it revealed to me how much I clicked with others so quickly that I fitted into a team. Later, we watched the shows and laughed together. We had much fun. In my opinion, our show was not the best, but we did it as a group and communicated to create the scenario. If we could get another chance, we would be the best. Though the day was very long, I gained more skills, including teamwork. I ended my day by hanging out with new friends, who were not part of my group and I did not know them before. I was satisfied because I was following my plan to improve my communication skills while attending the seminar.
During the last day, we had two small group sessions. The first one was about different communication styles or varied behaviours. Which are passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive and assertive; each one of them has various communication methods. It is essential to know them to make communication much easier and more effective. We paired up to discuss these types of communication and share our styles. I found myself between aggressive and assertive approaches. I respect myself and others, express my thoughts, feelings, and opinions through open, honest and direct communication. However, sometimes I feel that I am an aggressive person, primarily when I am relating to my close friends or my brothers. However, it is not always, but only when I am under pressure or nervous. Nevertheless, I make a point of apologising to them and explain the rationale behind my actions appropriately. Before this session, I was not aware of these types of communication methods and how essential they are. During the meeting, I was thinking about my type of communication and how I to prevent myself from sometimes being aggressive. Also, this session made me think a lot about how many patients I will face in the future and how each one of them will have a different type of communication. I have to learn from the challenging people and take the right things from any situation without harming anyone.
The second session was about constructive and destructive feedback, which is vital to improving ourselves without which, we cannot know if we are doing the right thing or not. From a personal point of understanding, it is essential because we cannot observe our mistakes. We have to be oriented by a professional or even by our parents. Constructive feedback is a more supportive communication tool, and its purpose is to raise a person's awareness of his\her mistakes, the job they have done and behaviour in a way that will lead to improvements. Destructive feedback lacks in specifics, and it has no suggestions on how something can be enhanced. I have learned these two types of feedback, and we performed a practical on how to provide constructive feedback. At the end of this session, we did a significant activity. Each member of our group wrote his/her name on a paper and left it on the chair. Then we wrote feedback for each other. Thus, it was a great activity because it helped to improve self-development and I got around 14 feedbacks from different people on something I wanted to improve on. After all, I could not notice all my weaknesses, but they helped me to focus on them. They also pointed out some strength I had not been sure about and made me more confident about them. Lastly, we gave feedback to our tutor.
Conclusion
Communication skills seminars are critical to the development and practice of excellent communication skills. My goal is to possess excellent communication competence, which demands preparation and practice so that you can manoeuvre all the probable situations that may present themselves in the future. In this regard, I had to ignore my fear of standing in front of people to meet my goal of having good communication skills. Secondly, I had to master the art of being empathetic without allowing the problems of other people affect my day to day activities. Thirdly, through practice, I learned that there is constructive and destructive feedback, whereby valuable feedback is an essential communication skill. My goal may not be a walk in the park, but those aspects that are worth possessing do not come easily. Besides, such sessions will help me to advance in my career to a great extend, especially if they encompass good speakers such as those that we had. Evidently, learning from the experienced is sine quo non to excellence.
