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Good communication skills can mask deficiencies

BMJ 2002; 325 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.325.7366.676/a (Published 28 September 2002) Cite this as: BMJ 2002;325:676

Dr Allan Cumming is associate dean of teaching at the University of Edinburgh

Are good doctors born or made?

The innate characteristics of a good doctor are beneficence and the capacity to engage with the knowledge necessary for informed practice. Beyond this basic level I believe that good doctors are made. Education should enable students to bridge the gaps between their ability and their “unconscious competence.” The increasing emphasis on generic clinical …

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