Communication is a process that is vital in every profession, much more with in the field of medicine. Equipping yourself with valuable communication techniques appropriate on the level of different individuals as well as clinical situations is an advantage no one can measure up to. Only through constant use of the techniques you learned both from medical school and USMLE review will you be able to develop such communication strategies to advance your medical career.

With first aid USMLE, you may have acquired some basic knowledge on the process of USMLE and see the importance of preparation through review. But this is not enough to ensure success with all the USMLE steps. You have to attain flexibility with various situations especially with the initial clinical interaction with your patient. Aside from effectively establishing rapport with patients who have complete senses, there are still valuable techniques yet to acquire that will be to your advantage long after completion of USMLE steps:

Guidelines for Communicating With a Blind Person

• Acknowledge your presence in the person's room. Identify yourself by name.

• Speak in a normal tone of voice. Remember that blind persons will be unable to pick up most nonverbal cues during communication.

• Explain the reason for touching the person before doing so.

• Indicate to the person when the conversation has ended and when you are leaving the room.

• Keep a call light or bell within easy reach of the person.

• Orient the person to the sounds in the environment. Also orient him to the arrangement of the room and its furnishings.

Guidelines for Communicating With a Deaf Person

• Orient the person to your presence before initiating conversation. This may be + done by gently touching the person or moving so you can be seen.

• Talk directly to the person facing you. If he is able to speech-read, use simple sentences and speak in a quiet, natural manner and pace. Be aware of nonverbal + communication.

• Do not chew gum or cover your mouth when talking with the person.

• Demonstrate or pantomime ideas you wish to express, as appropriate.

• Use sign language or finger spelling as appropriate.

• Write any ideas that you cannot convey to the person in another manner.

Communicating with a Person Who Speaks a Foreign Language

• Use an interpreter whenever possible.

• Use a dictionary that translates words from one language to another so that you can speak at least some words in the language of the person.

• Speak in simple sentences and in a normal tone of voice

• Demonstrate or pantomime ideas you wish to convey as appropriate.

• Be aware of nonverbal communication. Remember that most nonverbal cues are universal.

Communicating with an ill person who can see, hear, and understand you requires techniques that you need to master so as to gain necessary information for an accurate medical diagnosis; these techniques are all the more necessary when you are dealing with a patient whose senses are not intact.