BMJ Clinical Review – Key communication skills and how to acquire them

BMJ 325 : 697 doi: 10.1136/bmj.325.7366.697 (Published 28 September 2002)

Summary points

• Doctors with good communication skills identify patients’ problems more accurately

• Their patients adjust better psychologically and are more satisfied with their care

• Doctors with good communication skills have greater job satisfaction and less work stress

• Effective methods of communication skills training are available

• The opportunity to practise key skills and receive constructive feedback of performance is essential

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West Indian Medical Journal – Doctor of medicine training: reflections on the UWI (Mona) experience

D Eldemire-Shearer^I; S Roberts^II

^IDepartment of Community Health and Psychiatry, The University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica, West Indies
^IIDean’s Office, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica, West Indies

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ABSTRACT

Postgraduate Doctor of Medicine (DM) training at the University of the West Indies (UWI) has grown in response to the need to meet the regional requirements for high quality, competent clinical specialists. The progress of these programmes are examined from historical and health manpower development perspectives.
More than 600 persons have been trained through the DM programmes at UWI, Mona and 89% of them continue to provide critical services in the region. Such statistics underscore the success of the programme in meeting the Caribbean Corporation in Health (CCH), UWI and Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS) objectives. The relevance of the programme to the Caribbean’s needs is manifestly clear. Curriculum changes including a mandatory research component for all DM degrees reflect the evolution of training programmes as they adjust to current expectations of modern clinical practice and new emphases on evidence-based medicine and policies. Nevertheless, challenges exist including the deterioration of the physical plant for training, availability of training posts and funding of research. Monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance of existing programmes are to be continued.

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Competencies Over Courses in Medical Education- Inside Higher Ed

Modern technology has allowed medical innovation to take place more rapidly than ever before, often fundamentally altering the field….more

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