Communication skills

The physician should create an environment in which mutual learning occurs with and among patients, their relatives, members of the healthcare team and colleagues, and the public through effective communication. To increase the likelihood of more appropriate medical decision making and patient satisfaction, the graduates must be able to:

• listen attentively to elicit and synthesize relevant information about all problems and understanding of their content;
  
  
• apply communication skills to facilitate understanding with patients and their families and to enable them to undertake decisions as equal partners;
  
  
• communicate effectively with colleagues, faculty, the community, other sectors and the media;
  
  
• interact with other professionals involved in patient care through effective teamwork;
  
  
• demonstrate basic skills and positive attitudes towards teaching others;
  
  
• demonstrate sensitivity to cultural and personal factors that improve interactions with patients and the community;
  
  
• communicate effectively both orally and in writing;
  
  
• create and maintain good medical records;
  
  
• synthesize and present information appropriate to the needs of the audience, and discuss achievable and acceptable plans of action that address issues of priority to the individual and community.