Many of us feel that writing is an easier way to convey our emotions than speaking. This happens especially, when you face a crowd. Your knees shake, you have butterflies in your stomach, and your heart races. While writing allows me to express without inhibitions, I can pause to think and just let it flow, I know that this isn’t enough when you’re a doctor and you need to speak to your patients daily. A new person coming to you, presenting to you with their maladies in the hope that you would lend an ear and listen and reassure them. Therefore, a doctor should have requisite communication skills.

Hence, I got this strong desire to develop my communication skills and voila! Glocal Academy presented itself before me like magic! I engaged in a productive dialogue with Dr Naineni and during the dialogue he said that Dr Mada and he have taken it upon themselves to spread the knowledge about listening and clinical  communication- the subtle, yet often looked over; an indispensable trait that a doctor should possess! He encouraged me to take session and guaranteed an interesting one.

From the word go, it was an interactive and engaging discussion among professionals & students from different points in their journey. After the initial hesitation from my part, I could sense a feeling of camaraderie, I mustered enough courage to speak up and express without any qualms. It was amazing how, despite it being a Sunday afternoon, Dr Naineni could manage to keep our attention hooked to the screen as he took us along on a journey with stories, navigating effortlessly between activities and at the same time driving home valuable lessons on listening and listenability. The atmosphere was indeed fun, open, enjoyable, peppered with occasional jests and humour. Needless to say, that it was also filled with nuggets of information that will definitely help us in our practice.

Most important element of the session was learning in breakout rooms. We were divided into smaller groups and each group was led by an amazing facilitator. The facilitator welcomed us all and encouraged active participation. She started the discussion and acted as a guide linking us. It was much easier to break the ice and listen, share, and practice what was discussed in the open platform. I was able to listen to others voice their opinions and carve out valuable tips. It was also a stage where we were involved in healthy dialogue and I was happy that even my points were validated and accepted by my colleagues. 

Three and a half hours went by in a jiffy and there wasn’t a moment where the audience was bored. All the participants were really engrossed and received fantastic insight. I’m sure my colleagues share the same view about the session. Here are some snippets from their experience so far:

“So, Dr Krishna Naineni Sir approached me to be a facilitator.  I remember my first experience.  I didn't have the notes. I was not even aware what I was about to do in the breakout room, and I got nervous. But I couldn't express it in front of the participants.  It was tough, but somehow I managed with the help of other facilitators.  I actually learnt a lot about how to control your stress from that experience. 

Later with more sessions, I improved my public speaking skills, learnt how to respect different views and perspectives, learnt how to not interrupt others and actively listen to other people.

Each time there is something new to learn from the participants.  Whenever I facilitated, it felt like a revision of these principles for me. 

It has definitely helped me professionally as well as personally.” Riddhi Gupta

“My experience with Glocal Academy has been MAGICAL. One session which lasted for almost 3 hours, changed my perspective about communication skills forever. The more sessions I attended, the more I started exploring myself. Every passing day, with every conversation, I am learning to listen more. I have been practicing how to control my hot buttons, have become more patient with not just other people but with myself as well. I have learned about so many new concepts and have met some amazing people here. I believe being a part of this family, I am becoming a better listener, writer, and a better person. Yes, I am M.A.D, I am Making a Difference. I am RAMBO !!” Taranjot Kaur

So there you have it! I’m looking forward to many more interactive and insightful sessions at Glocal Academy.

Dr Nandita Ranjit.