Effective communication skills are essential for success in an Emergency Medicine Residency. How would you describe your communication skills?

Before your interview, think about your communication strengths. Come to your interview prepared to talk about what makes you great at communicating with patients, colleagues, and support staff. More importantly, explain why solid communication skills are vital for any resident and physician.

"My interpersonal communication skills focus on education and compassion. I treat every conversation with the utmost respect, no matter the nature of the communication. As an Emergency Medicine Resident, I know that my colleagues and care team within the ED will also rely on me to be a leader. When communicating as a leader, I am thorough, clear, and respectful. I don't shy away from difficult conversations. I also give praise and try to lift my team members with my communication style."

"Yes, communication skills are very important. I would describe my communication style as calm and easy to understand. When appropriate I am able to show compassion and empathy."

"I would describe my communication style as a hybrid of approaches that I have learned over the years through watching physicians I admire lead medical teams, and through my own experience in finding my own voice as a medical student. First, I consciously try to listen before I speak- medicine is a team sport and every member of that team regardless of role has an important voice. As an EM physician, I may not be spending as much 1:1 time with any given patient as the nurse or care techs, so when they say something like they are concerned about a patient for XYZ reason, I want them to know I will listen and take them seriously. Second, I try to bring a calm but focused presence to my communication in stressful or hectic situations. I make myself actively aware of my tone, how quickly I am speaking, and the volume of my voice and try to act as the calmest person in the room while not acting aloof or uncaring. I find that physicians who do this are able to help bring composure to chaotic situations. Finally, in speaking with patients, I try to let them know how much I empathize with them and their current situation. Our patients are coming to us at their most vulnerable and they need to know that their physician actually cares about them as a person and that they can trust them with their lives."