How to be a Great Communicator

[ysk1]

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I'm aware that the ability to communicate well is critical in interviews and any fields involving human interaction. In interviews, if you can't talk articulately about your accomplishments, whether they be undergrad research and publication, hundreds of hours of clinical experience, shadowing, and so on, or if you can't communicate your ideas and opinions clearly, then you're screwed.

Many people volunteer in a hospital, shadow a doctor, work on a project for a year or two, get a publication, and still can't explain them well. I feel my current communication skills are extremely weak and inferior; I don't want to be one of those people three years later. Since English is my second language, this is a much greater burden to overcome.


Some suggestions I received in the past are the following:

-Take communication courses
-Work at jobs forcing you to communicate with others. eg. waiter, cashier, patient transport, ER tech, PT tech...
(In fact, I already work as a cashier; it doesnt seem to help that much, however, probably because most of the things I have to say as a cashier are routine and repetitive)
-Join school's social clubs that require you to talk.


Please suggest other ways in which one can become a master communicator.
Advice specifically for ESL students are also welcome.


Thank you.

 

[Quix]

Practice interviews are very helpful.

 

[Phoenix.]

Practice interviews are very helpful.

If you're applying this year, I agree that lots of mock interviews would be your best bet.

 

[lisichka]

.

 

[mvenus929]

Do anything to boost your confidence. If you're confident, you won't be as prone to stutter due to nervousness in any situation. Humor is a good tool too... certainly helped me in my last speech...

 

[Quix]

and hello there , Quix, my Russian comrade "za uspex nashego dela, indeed!!!"

More German than Russian, actually, but I do have a lot of Lithuanian in my heritage. I came across the phrase and thought it was particularly appropriate. Russian is on the "to do" list, however. 🙂

 

[lisichka]

More German than Russian, actually, but I do have a lot of Lithuanian in my heritage. I came across the phrase and thought it was particularly appropriate. Russian is on the "to do" list, however. 🙂

well, Guten Tag then. germans ahhh those tall blonde human species heard something about them, i think i even saw one or two when i went to europe this summer hmmm, interesting.

j/k😛

 

[smq123]

I feel my current communication skills are extremely weak and inferior; I don't want to be one of those people three years later. Since English is my second language, this is a much greater burden to overcome.

Some suggestions I received in the past are the following:

-Take communication courses
-Work at jobs forcing you to communicate with others. eg. waiter, cashier, patient transport, ER tech, PT tech...
(In fact, I already work as a cashier; it doesnt seem to help that much, however, probably because most of the things I have to say as a cashier are routine and repetitive)
-Join school's social clubs that require you to talk.

The problem with medical school interviews (and in the hospital as a med student) is that you'll often be faced with unexpected situations that you can't practice for. Medical interviewers can (and will) ask you anything that they feel like. (Some interviewers will specifically NOT ask questions about your research - because many of them don't do research and wouldn't understand what you're doing anyway.) On rounds, the worst phrase that you can hear out of the attending's mouth is "Hey, why don't you present that patient you saw in the ER yesterday? Just whatever you remember - don't use notes." 🙁 Finally, of course, patients will ask whatever they have questions about - which can be absolutely anything.

Taking a communication course MIGHT help, but it will probably only help you in situations that you can prepare for. That would not be useful.

Community outreach health programs can be great, especially any programs that do health fairs or discussion groups. That will help you practice answering unexpected questions. Plus, you'll get your volunteering out of the way. Any programs that deal with teenagers/adolescents, or any community HIV outreach programs, usually do this type of stuff.

Tutoring students (if you feel confident enough) can also be very good - again, you'll have to practice presenting information in a clear and organized way. Plus, by answering your student's questions, you practice with unexpected situations.

Good luck!

 

[Jolie South]

For the tough ones, don't be afraid to be wrong or you'll get too flustered. Just think through an answer and justify. If you give it your best shot and don't freak out, I think everything will be ok. 👍

 

[smq123]

Oh - if you REALLY have a lot of free time, being a campus tour guide/student interviewer can be useful. I did that in undergrad.

 

[mvenus929]

Taking a communication course MIGHT help, but it will probably only help you in situations that you can prepare for. That would not be useful.

If you take public speaking, probably. I'm taking a class called Oral Communication in the Workplace, though, and it's designed to help you know HOW to speak in a professional situation, not how to give a public speech (though we have a lot of those too). We even have an interview/impromptu situation (unfortunately, it's after both of my interviews so far).

 

[lisichka]

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