Communication

What to look out for during work experience

When reflecting on communication for this station, think about a specific moment where you observed genuinely effective communication in action — for example, shadowing a GP who used simple, jargon-free language to explain a complex diagnosis to a worried patient, while checking for understanding and addressing their concerns directly.

Learning points

• Good communication involves clarity, active listening, and adapting your approach depending on who you’re speaking to — the same information needs to be delivered differently to a worried patient than it would to a colleague.
• Non-verbal cues — such as tone of voice and body language — play just as important a role as the words themselves, often shaping how a message is actually received.

How to develop this further

• Practise active listening in everyday conversations, and seek honest feedback from others on how clearly you communicate.
• Work on simplifying explanations of complex topics when speaking to peers, as a way of practising the same skill you’d need with patients.
• Take part in public speaking or role-play scenarios, which can help build confidence and precision in verbal communication under pressure.

Relevance to medical school, being a doctor, and MDTs

• Medical school — Communication becomes essential almost immediately, whether presenting ideas, collaborating with peers on group work, or engaging directly with patients during clinical placements.
• As a doctor — Doctors need to explain diagnoses, treatments, and risks clearly and sensitively, to both patients and colleagues, often under time pressure or in emotionally difficult situations.
• Within MDTs — Clear communication ensures every team member understands their role, promotes genuine teamwork, and — critically — helps prevent errors that could otherwise arise from miscommunication or assumption.

Suggested structure for this question

• Describe a specific example from your work experience where you observed genuinely effective communication.
• Explain what specifically made this communication effective — clarity, active listening, checking understanding, or awareness of non-verbal cues.
• Reflect on what you personally learned from observing this interaction.
• Explain how you’re actively working to develop your own communication skills, giving a genuine example if possible.
• Link this back to medical school, life as a doctor, and the importance of communication within an MDT, showing you understand this is a skill that needs continuous practice and reflection, not something to be mastered once and left alone.