For the third year, the Communication Arts Department’s CommArts Studio offered communication skills training to the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine’s “Doctors of Tomorrow” program participants. The program is designed to help underrepresented student populations – typically women and minorities – become more competitive for the medical school application process and prepare for them for success as future medical school students, residents, and doctors. This year, 23 undergraduate students from Florida colleges and universities – including FIU – got an inside view of a modern U.S. university medical school, its administrators and faculty, its labs and classrooms. While in residence at FIU, they attended seminars on writing personal statements and the medical school application process, concept mapping, preparing for the MCAT test, test-taking strategies, time management, work-life balance, professional ethics, and communication skills.
The CommArts Studio’s Charlene Eberly talked to students about interpersonal communication in the doctor-patient relationship, issues related to intercultural communication, and communicating confidence and leadership potential in the interview process. Students learned the power of eye contact and the non-verbal messages they send and how to project a positive, confident image. They prepared their self-introductions and interview talking points designed to showcase their strengths and interests and practiced interview responses. At the end of the session, students headed off to the Graham Center for lunch, eager to practice their new skills on any students and faculty they could find.
Read more about FIU’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and the Doctors of Tomorrow program:
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