Research Paper Presentations

I thought all the presentations were executed well. It did differ for some people, because some had more time to prepare than others. I was somewhat surprised that there are about 4 or 5 people doing their papers on how doctors and their patient’s communication; and the more intriguing part is that they all show different views on how to go about to treat the linguistic issue at hand. I believe that the most interesting paper will be the one on Artificial Intelligence and how language computes into that issue, because well who does not find Artificial Intelligence interesting? And plus it is the only distinct topic from everyone else in the class. I also like the last speech on Monday about accounting. I found it interesting how people lose millions of dollars for the first 3 or 4 years, before they start to make money. I also learned that visual aids are key to presentations and they helped a lot. Eric had a good demonstration on the chalkboard with the chicken, the accounting information sheet I just talked about, how one drew how A.I. operated on the chalkboard, and how the hostage negotiation steps worked. Those are the ones I found myself more interested in than the others who just talked the whole time I felt as if the papers dealing with political science said the same thing everytime. That is probably because I am not big fan of politics and it all seems rather annoying to me. I think that presentations being enforced before the final paper or rough draft is due is very helpful, because it helps one organize his/her paper more and shows them what they need to include or exclude from their final draft. These speeches can also help others within the class if they had the same topic, because someone else research can tie in with yours that would perhaps help you get your arguments and points across more precisely.

Communication between doctor-patient relationship

The doctor-patient relationship is important to the practice of medicine and essential for the delivery of care in the diagnosis and treatment. This relationship always depended on the communication between them. Communication is essential for people to express their needs and desires properly to other people. Medical practitioners, especially doctors, should be able to communicate with their patients in order to indicate their diagnosis and concerns to them rather clearly. In this paper, I am going to discuss counterarguments on improving the communication of doctor-patient relationships: either by adding humanities classes to pre-med students or building a relationship of trust between the doctor and his patient.

Several scholars have noticed that doctor’s communication needs improvement, and believe that this needs to be taken care of during their medicinal training in graduate school. C.M. Gills believes that Medicine and Humanities are tied together and that humanities should be taught more in order to help the doctor get on their patients level better. The humanities thus contribute to the young physician what Dr. Micco called “critical abilities, flexibility of perspective,...ethical values, empathy and selfknowledge” (Gills 7). Gills is agreeing with Micco’s point that if we teach humanities more to practicing doctors then they will be able to be more flexible with their practice and comprehend more what the patients are saying; and by making them more understanding people, they will become more effective physicians. Because patients are not just going to hand you the organ that hurts, so it will be a little tougher to fully understand the full measure of the treatment needed coming from an inexperienced patient. Additionally, the media has been prone to helping physicians easily connect the means and the ends. Several big time newspapers, like the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, claim that medical schools are beginning to tell their students to look for answers in novels, theatres, paintings, and dance. They have reported a study that by looking at paintings and sculptures, it can heighten the student’s observational abilities; and with these heightened abilities, a doctor will be able to ask the necessary questions to the patients to make a correct diagnosis without relying too much on blood and x-rays. One of my father’s friends Dr. Katz, in New York, believes that it is more important before becoming a full-out physician to develop a way to interpret the patient’s explanation of his symptoms. He believes that another class is necessary for students to take in order relate to their students more.

Other people believe that it depends upon the doctor and his approach to the patient. There are three common approaches that the doctor takes: paternalistic, informed, and shared (Charles). Doctors, who use the paternalistic approach, unlikely have much interest in discussing patient concerns. They like to hear their patient’s symptoms very quickly so that he can come up with a diagnosis ignoring the patient’s concerns. The informed approach occurs when the patient takes a more active role in the treatment making decision. The doctor does not have much say in giving a treatment; however, he does help the patient by giving him relevant information in order for the patient to make a decision. I do not personally believe that this is the best way for doctors to go about their work. They are the ones who went to school for many years learning how to find out your illness and treat it in the best, safest way possible. I believe that the best of these three is the final one, the shared approach. The doctors commit themselves to finding a treatment that works with the patient’s concerns. The doctors allow the patient to describe their agendas and from that the doctors try to find a cure most suitable to the patients. This allows the patient to feel comfortable and build some trust for his doctor. My father is an endocrinologist in Memphis and he believes that building a solid relationship with the patients is the best way to relate to your patients. When they communicate, it is not awkward at all and the patients feel more relaxed. It is also more psychologically relaxing for the patient, because he feels that he knows his doctor is trying his best to help him in every way possible.

Several medical schools believe to teach their students early how to talk to their patients so that their relationship improves and that one is able to make the correct diagnosis. I believe that taking the classes would be most benefit to most doctors throughout the world because not every doctor sees the same patient over and over again, so therefore, why would he need to develop a very solid relationship with his patient. If he were easily able to understand what the patient is saying and find a diagnosis, then that is all that matters. The whole point of people going to the doctors is get better and not to make friends.

Research Paper

My paper is about examining the communication doctors and their patients, and how to improve this relationship. The most common perception shared by doctors is to "dumbdown" to the patients level, because no patients, not having any history in medicine, will be understand the doctors at all. My father is an endocrinologist and he claims that he speaks very differently to his patients that he does with his patients. Every little word and tone its given in affects the patients behavior and how his feelings. Abel says that if a doctor were to increase the frequency of sounds associated with lightness and fastness, the patient seemed to be able to cope with their illness and handle it well because it does not seem bad. And if doctors were to use smaller medical terms than long ones, patients would feel more comfortable and not as worried that they are about to die.
Other doctors believe that grad students should take more humanities classes in order to be able to talk to patients easier, and being able to get the point across. Bibliotherapy has come up alot through my research. It basically means therapy through books. This deals with people just reading to help out so they talk more fluidly so other people (like their patients) can understand them better. Dysart believes that bibliotherapy is believed to negotiate the space between medicine and the patient's lifeworld. Several editorials give evidence by showing the patients view of the doctor and vice versa. Charles believe that patients feel overriden and overpowered many times by doctor, which obviously makes the patient feel insecure and worried. Doctors need only to find a middle ground with the patients so that everyone feels good. My father claims that the patient should have trust in their doctors and everything handles better.