Behavioural Sciences Week Part 1

So we are halfway through our intensive 2 week course on the Behavioural Sciences.
The Behavioural Science week is a refreshing change from the Biological Sciences that we are used to learning. If before, we learn about the Kreb's Cycle and various other metabolic reactions occuring in the body as well as the structure and functions of the various organs in our body, this week, we study about the behavioural aspect of medicine.
We were exposed to more psychological stuff this week, for example pain, motivation, becoming ill, reacting towards illness, ageing, the various theories of learning, personality, etc.
Dr.Hera Lukman was lecturing us today! I had been looking forward to seeing her, as I had heard quite a lot of positive things being mentioned about her from our seniors as well as batchmates who had been her PBL mentees. I always thought that I could differentiate between a British and an American accent, that is until I met her. During her introduction, she mentioned that she had a complex background, and she had been to many different countries around the world. Most recently, she had just returned from a 3 week trip to the US. She talks without fullstops, lol! But she's a great lecturer, she has this charisma about her as she teaches. When I checked for feedback from my friends, they all liked her a lot.
Also, we get to learn how to interact with our patients and how exactly to go about conducting a patient interview. We were divided into groups of 4-5 people, and horror of all horrors, I had to be randomly appointed as my group leader. And furthermore, my groupmates were all Malays, whom I never really got to know before ( ever though they are my batchmates).
We learnt exactly what type of questions to ask the patient, how to built rapport with the patient, etc. My group had our interview practice session last week. It was fun, we took turns to be the patient and the doctor. Being the group leader, I was the very first person to act as the doctor. The feedback from the factilitator about my attempt was positive, to my delight.
Next week would be the real thing, when our interview sessions with our stimulated patients would be recorded and then assessed. It's quite scary actually, for a first-timer, but with some practice, hopefully everything will be fine. Also, as a group leader, I am supposed to know how to operate the video camera, something which I have never even laid a hand on before.
To summarize, the Behavioural Science week is to make sure that we become all-rounded doctors in the future, being able to be caring and compassionate towards our patients and understanding towards their needs, instead of just being machines giving out medicine. Because there is more to medicine and being a doctor then just curing the patient.

At the end of next week, I'll update you guys with the occurings of the second half of the Behavioural Science week.