Course description
​Effective communication is one of the most challenging aspects of being a physician, if not the most challenging. Even if you have all the clinical knowledge, you will be less successful with your patients, colleagues, presentations, interviews, and networking events if you do not know how to connect with others and communicate clearly. All hospitals in the United States are required to send out patient satisfaction surveys, which impacts hospital reimbursement and national ranking. Physician communication skills is one of the survey topics patients report their experience with.
IMGs used to have the opportunity to prove their communication skills through the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills exam, however as of January 27th, 2021, the Federation of State Medical Boards canceled the CS. That’s where this course comes in.
Lauren Hermann, M.S. CCC-SLP will lead a small online class twice a week for six weeks. Each class is 90 minutes long and is dedicated to setting IMGs up for greater success during interviews and across different work-related environments. The following is taught:

1. Strengthen Clinical and Formal (residency interview) Communications
- Accent training (with individual speech analysis)(Accent is one of the most common communication barrier reported by native English speakers when conversing with IMGs)
- Focus on speaking and presentation skills in the context of oral/poster/case presentations for conferences and morning rounds during rotations.
- How to effectively communicate with a patient like Introducing yourself, explaining the results, summarizing the visit.
- Improving skills like active listening, giving and receiving feedback.
-  Emphasis on Interview skills like building confident speaking, non verbal communication, brevity, post interview closure
- Tips to control nervousness
- Tips for dictation
 
2. Enhance Networking Strategies.
Tips on formal written communications via email/ phone:
- Seeking opportunities for clerkships, research positions, residency interviews, job opportunities.
- Email etiquette (post interview communication, interest emails, letter of intent etc.)
- Formal writing skills including structure and grammar.
- Small talk and networking
- Speaking on telephone
 
3. Boost Test taking skills:
- Training on active listening, fluency, use of appropriate emotions, lexis, and tone during patient counselling (important components of OET scoring rubric)

Course logistics
The course consists of small group sessions that meet online twice a week for for 6 weeks, and we meet 90 minutes at a time. Before our first session, each student will receive instructions to complete a recording of themselves reading medical terminology, phrases, and paragraphs for the faculty to complete their individualized speech analysis. This will help tailor the program to focus on the greatest accent and speech clarity needs of the class. Approximately 50% of the course is dedicated to accent and speech clarity, and the rest of the course is dedicated to communication skills in the healthcare setting. While the course will primarily focus on spoken communication across various situations, like interviewing, networking, patient interviews, there will be focus on written and e-mail communication. We will provide mock patient-provider interviews for the students to analyze, and home assignments are provided for ongoing practice of the skills learned in each class. Each member will also have access to a private Facebook group for IMGs and other international medical professionals where additional videos and discussions can be found for ongoing support.

Course fee and Start dates
The fee for the course is $750. 
Next batch starts March 7, 2021.

Enroll