Medical Student Skills for Success

As a medical student working in a hospital, I believe in patient-provider relationships. While doing rounds I stumble upon a provider speaking with a patient who is of a different culture or ethnic background whose care may be provided differently. Providers should always be aware and respectful of others' beliefs. Some religions or cultures do not agree with a course of action that a provider will consider. The patient and provider should come with a plan in the most respectful way. Moving on, I notice an LPN performing a bed to wheelchair transfer. The nurse is using good body mechanics by keeping her back straight, providing a wide base of support, and bending at the hips and knee. She’s making sure that the patient doesn’t put their arms around her much during the transfer because this would cause both the patient and her to lose balance. She is observing the patient’s physical condition through the procedure such as pain, dizziness, fatigue, and increased pulse rate. If the patient were showing any of these signs, transfer and notify a supervisor. I overhear two nurses and on the phone with a pharmacist ensuring that they have all the information they need to treat patient safety. This interprofessional collaboration can help enhance medication dosages and reduce preventable drug reactions. Before finishing rounds, I notice a patient frustrated over waiting for her medical results. Much of healthcare requires waiting. Patients wait for Physicians and Physicians to wait for other Physicians to provide consultations. Delays in communication cause frustration in patients. Test results must be sent to the right person on time. Interprofessional collaboration connects this gap by keeping a care team connected making sure that each staff member delivers the right information to the right people in a critical amount of time.

A medical student should possess communication, teamwork, and leadership skills that would be important to work efficiently in the health care system. Communication is key. Whether it be medical accurately sharing patient information with a group of medical professionals, the need for precise, effective communication is always necessary for this field. A patient's safety is one of the most important reasons to create effective communication. Inadequate communication is the leading cause of in-hospital deaths and while these errors can have consequences. They can be fixed meaning communication errors can be prevented. That fact alone is an important reason for good communication. Teamwork is an important aspect of the medical field where everyone is working hard to ensure each patient is receiving the best care. Teamwork increases the chance of helping the patient. The ultimate goal to provide quality patient care and teamwork lay the groundwork for this. If everyone is on the same page more efficient care. Having strong leadership is essential to the success of any organization. Leadership can make all the difference not just for the staff, but also for the patients who entrust their care to them. Effective leadership can improve overall patient care and decrease medical errors.