GAMSAT: Communication and Health Care

Communication between a doctor and a patient is a crucial part of diagnosis. As a medical practitioner you will meet people from various walks of life almost every day. This may be a reason why a major part of a medical entrance test paper like GAMSAT deals with Humanities and Social Sciences. The GAMSAT test makers have various factors in mind while designing the test for prospective medical students. An overall aptitude for logical reasoning will make GAMSAT a more comfortable ride for you, and communication is one of the key skills.

• It is always the doctor’s job to ‘break the ice’ first and establish a healthy rapport with his patient. As a doctor, you will undoubtedly have a hectic lifestyle. Preparing for GAMSAT is just the begining. But it has to be your prerogative to first keep your own spirits high before you actually try and uplift your patient’s. Irritable doctors rarely make good doctors.
• A good communicator is always first a good listener. While it may be important to bombard your patients with a lot of questions to delve into the core of their medical case, it is also equally important to listen to a patient without interrupting him or her. Studies show that patients normally get a chance of speaking for about 18-20 secs before the physician interrupts. While on the other hand, if they are allowed to speak uninterrupted for about 3-4 mins, they end up giving you a much clearer picture of their medical problem (about 90% as the study says).
• Body language is always an integral part of communication. A pleasant smile or an assuring nod can establish greater confidence in your patient than a million reassuring words. Establishing ‘eye contact’ with the patient for about 80% of the interview time will assure the patient that the doctor is paying real attention to his/her cause.
• Communication is always a two-way lane…a give and take. Good doctors never try to impose their ideas on the patients, they only advice the best road forward. Some people are more emotional, some practical, some whimsical, some cynical. A great communicator identifies the character traits and adapts accordingly. GAMSAT aims at testing these very skills. It is for this reason that a GAMSAT question paper consists of Section I and Section 2. GAMSAT section 2 will test your ability to articulate and communicate your views, and thus it will go on to portray your communication skills.

If you intend on becoming a doctor and are an introvert or even an extrovert, it is a good idea to start now. Good communicators make good doctors. This is directly proportional to happier patients, more visits, more money and better career prospects. If you want to pursue a career in medicine and are preparing for GAMSAT, you will understand that being a doctor is not so much about how much you know but about how much you really care.