From that phone call you might assume that my mom is old, forgetful and aloof. She is none of those things. She’s only 62, and she’s a highly educated woman whose been teaching for 30 years. Regardless of her privileged position, she still couldn't piece together what her doctors were saying about her life- altering diagnosis. The lack of concise communication from physicians caused my mom not to understand her treatment options, to feel obsolete, experience anxiety and confusion, sparked a loss of autonomy, caused her to feel stupid for asking questions and most of all, caused her delay in life saving treatments. This is a common experience among cancer patients. I could genuinely discuss this topic forever, but this is not the time or place. However, I will link a literature review I wrote on physician and patient communication here, if you’d like to delve into the research on why clear communication is detrimental in healthcare spaces. While I am choosing to discuss cancer patients as my focus, I want it to be known that advocacy for better doctor-patient communication can and should be applied to every patient regardless of their diagnosis.

The paragraph above is my long-winded explanation of how my moms experience inspired me to become involved in promoting communication education for physicians. While the heart of my motivation is to improve cancer patients’ well-being and understanding of their conditions so they can make autonomous choices- I’ve found the best way to do that is to start with the people they interact most :their doctors. A nonprofit organization that I admire is The Foundation for Medical Excellence, whose mission is to promote quality healthcare by offering free education to physicians. TFME hosts educational conferences and online classes for physicians who want to learn how to better communicate with patients. I would love to be a part of an organization like this, so I can spread awareness of how critical clear communication is to a patients overall healthcare outcome. I believe many health care professionals have the desire to connect with their patients, they just need to learn how to do it. 

If I was to be a part of an organization like TFME, I would be considered a community development practitioner who works in the advisory realm (Sharpe et al., 2016). This is because I would be suggesting alternative ways to address issues, raise awareness and stimulate critical thinking, challenge existing views and advise community members on next steps (Sharpe et al., 2016). Based on my VIA strengths test (image below), I believe I have many ways I can contribute to the role of educating physicians on research based communication practices. My top strengths are Honesty, Kindness, Fairness, Humor and Social Intelligence. I feel that my strengths showcase my compassion and motivations for improving practices that are harming an already suffering community. I am able to have integrity, be kind and light- hearted while having the ever-present awareness peoples emotions and justice. 

Praxis # 6 Action

For my Praxis #6 assignment, I've chosen to register for Inclusion U training. I've chosen this option for a few reasons. The first is I think being a Certified Inclusivity Assessor will make me stand out to future employers. This certification will to communicate to them that I am not only knowledgeable about inclusion, but that I value it enough to learn as much as I can about it. The second reason I chose Inclusion U training is that I am a lover of handbooks, data, reliable research, and functional tools. I believe this training will help me cement ways to create and maintain inclusive communities. Right now their website is not taking online payments, so I will be sending in a check tomorrow. If for whatever reason this does not go through in time, I will look into the training offered by NIP.