----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Cartwright"
> Well not neccessarily so. Look at how M.Thatcher
> improved after the training. I certainly have got
> better at it than when I was first qualified. Some of
> that improvement has come from doing education courses
> and having feedback from others on how I communicate.
Must admit Fred, I don't remember Maggie from the 70s, but I did follow
Blair as an opposition spokesman in the 80s and 90s and he was impressive
even then! But these are exceptional people...
> Their was an interesting session at the Edinburgh
> conference when this was discussed. Attitudes can be
> taught, but it is often covert rather than overt - the
> hidden agenda! A good example of this is the surgical
> trainees that start as nice reasonable people, but a
> year or so later show the typical gung ho, arrogant
> attitudes, which they have picked up from seeing their
> seniors in action.
Oh yes, "osmosis" is a very powerful force in medical education. You're
quite right, we all absorb attitudinal beliefs from our seniors, although we
can be selective if we try. But it's this covert, subconscious, method of
"training" that has most benefit I believe when it comes to communication
skills and the like. That's really my original argument, I don't believe
these skills can be taught in a classroom, but you can influence your
juniors by example, for better or for worse...
Adrian
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