"Soft Skills" Deluxe

Here at the café we often talk about the importance of effective communication in the veterinary profession. In the past 20 years, there's been an impressive "communication movement" that has allowed many more veterinary schools to improve their training and many veterinary organizations are offering more continuing education about these issues. While many veterinary schools and professional organizations are addressing this need, there is still much work to be done.

The September 8, 2009 on-line issue of Exceptional Veterinary Team magazine (myEVT) contains an article discussing this very problem. In the article: "Veterinary School: What They Don't Teach;" Dr. D. shares her frustration about having limited training in this area and how she felt unprepared to deal with her clients emotions in her first job out of school. The author states, "although I was confident in my medical skills, the way the client's tear-filled eyes locked onto mine as I explained the effects of snake bites made me more than a bit nervous...after all, veterinary school taught me how to treat an injury but not how to deal with distraught pet owners."

It's true that many more veterinary schools today are changing and adapting their curriculum to help students learn communication skills. It's also true, however, that there are some schools that still provide no training at all. The financial pressures Universities face in today's economy are just as intense as the pressures in many other institutions and businesses. It can be hard for them to find adequate resources to provide training with Dr. D. calls the "soft skills." When push comes to shove, they feel that the medical information has to take priority.

What do you all think about this issue? How do you go about ranking the importance of topics in veterinary curriculum? Should there be a formula, and what should be done when no money is available to teach communication skills? I'd like to hear your thoughts! (photo from istockphoto.com)

--Dana

Comments

[Fi from "Four Paws and Whiskers"]

I have the same issue with our vet nursing training programme here in New Zealand and believe me, we do our best to train them in these skills as often they are the people picking up the pieces when the vets do it badly. We select as much as possible for applicants that have already shown good people skills as I believe it is difficult to teach this, whereas the other practical and academic skills required are easier to acquire. Unfortunately, the academic focused training required to be a vet can let people become vets when they really do not relate to people well. But if they select on people skills, they would probably be sued...
To help in our courses, we do a lot of group work and make the students work as a team, mixing them up regularly, and this often exposes to them, and us, where their weaknesses are and where they need help.
I still occasionally get one where I hope they will look for a field where they never have to deal with people...

[turtlecookie]

Ah, yes. This is tricky business, and I think it's also tricky in medical school, where they also select for academic skills over people skills when really you need a blend of both. And I agree that the people skills may be harder to acquire. I do believe, though, that most people can learn to have better interpersonal communication skills. While academics is certainly THE thing people go to vet school to acquire, I also think that, at the very least, there should be a graduate seminar or some such course requirement that includes the human side of veterinary medicine. It could be a part of an already required course, or it could be, as Fi from Four Paws describes, a part of the practical training -- mixing up teams/group work that reveal strengths and weaknesses and a chance for some mentoring in that area. Having it fixed in the program, however, whether as a whole course or as part of a seminar series or course, would assure that everyone had at least some exposure to the human side of veterinary medicine.

turtlecookie

[Dana]

Hi Fi and Turtlecookie,

Thank you for your opinions...I also appreciate your advice Fi about using group interaction for teaching. If the whole group is participating, it makes people more comfortable in general so they can communicate better.

I agree with both of you about the "medical" part of the brain versus the "touchy-feely" side. Obviously, when funds are limited, the medical knowlege comes first and then you hope that students can pick up on communication skills as they go through school. Some probably learn from experience better than others. It's a difficult job being a veterinarian, isn't it?!

[Laurel]

Well, Dana, you know how I feel about this...if the communication doesn't work, the treatment isn't likely to be as effective either because clients won't comply (or understand what they are supposed to do)or they will be so discouraged or dissatisfied that they will take their business elsewhere.

I don't think communication skills are "soft skills" anymore. There are surveys that say communication training is viewed to be more valuable than an MBA in the workplace. Communication is essential and core and should be viewed in ANY business that way.

[Lindsay]

Yes, schools need to do a lot more work in this area. It's also something individual vets and vet techs can think about on their own and be always thinking about how to improve their skills when dealing with people's emotions. This goes for doctors with human patients as well! The best doctors (including vets) are the ones who know how to communicate. One vet gave my dad a hug when we put our dog to sleep. I will always remember that!