About Communication Skills
Subject Code
BP105T
Semester
Semester 1
Credits
2 Credits
Communication Skills (BP105T) helps future pharmacists navigate the complex healthcare environment. It is not just about speaking English; it’s about conveying clinical information effectively to doctors, patients, and colleagues. This course covers verbal and non-verbal communication, listening skills, and the art of cracking interviews and group discussions.
Key Learning Objectives
- Identify Barriers: Recognize and overcome physiological, psychological, and cultural barriers to communication.
- Master Non-Verbal Cues: Use body language, eye contact, and gestures to enhance your message.
- Write Effectively: Draft professional emails, reports, and resumes tailored for the pharmaceutical industry.
- Ace Interviews: Learn the do’s and don’ts of job interviews and how to present yourself confidently.
- Participate in GD: Develop skills to lead and contribute effectively in Group Discussions.
Syllabus & Topics Covered
Unit 1: Communication Skills & Barriers
- Communication Skills: Introduction, Definition, The Importance of Communication, The Communication Process – Source, Message, Encoding, Channel, Decoding, Receiver, Feedback, Context.
- Barriers to communication: Physiological Barriers, Physical Barriers, Cultural Barriers, Language Barriers, Gender Barriers, Interpersonal Barriers, Psychological Barriers, Emotional barriers.
- Perspectives in Communication: Introduction, Visual Perception, Language, Other factors affecting our perspective – Past Experiences, Prejudices, Feelings, Environment.
Unit 2: Elements of Communication
- Elements of Communication: Introduction, Face to Face Communication – Tone of Voice, Body Language (Non-verbal communication), Verbal Communication, Physical Communication.
- Communication Styles: Introduction, The Communication Styles Matrix with example for each – Direct Communication Style, Spirited Communication Style, Systematic Communication Style, Considerate Communication Style.
Unit 3: Basic Listening & Written Skills
- Basic Listening Skills: Introduction, Self-Awareness, Active Listening, Becoming an Active Listener, Listening in Difficult Situations.
- Effective Written Communication: Introduction, When and When Not to Use Written Communication – Complexity of the Topic, Amount of Discussion Required, Shades of Meaning, Formal Communication.
- Writing Effectively: Subject Lines, Put the Main Point First, Know Your Audience, Organization of the Message.
Unit 4: Interview Skills & Presentations
- Interview Skills: Purpose of an interview, Do’s and Dont’s of an interview.
- Giving Presentations: Dealing with Fears, Planning your Presentation, Structuring Your Presentation, Delivering Your Presentation, Techniques of Delivery.
Unit 5: Group Discussion
- Group Discussion: Introduction, Communication skills in group discussion, Do’s and Dont’s of group discussion.
How to Score High in Communication Skills
- 1
Mirror Practice: Practice introduction and answers to common interview questions in front of a mirror to check your body language.
- 2
Read Aloud: To improve tone and modulation, read a page of a newspaper or novel aloud daily.
- 3
Diagram the Process: For theory exams, draw the block diagram of the ‘Communication Cycle’ (Sender-Receiver model).
- 4
Bullet Points: In exams, write answers for ‘Barriers’ or ‘Do’s/Don’ts’ in bullet points rather than long paragraphs.
- 5
Mock GD: Form a group of 4-5 friends and discuss a generic topic for 15 mins to practice turn-taking.
Why it Matters for Career
Technical knowledge is useless if you cannot communicate it. Whether you are explaining a dosage regimen to a patient (Community Pharmacy) or presenting sales data to a manager (Pharma Marketing), communication is the key to climbing the career ladder.
Exam Weightage
This is the easiest subject to pass but easiest to lose marks in if you are casual. Questions are general (e.g., ‘Write a note on Body Language’), so your answer must be structured with headings and examples to stand out. Unit 1 is the most weightage unit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is grammar tested in this subject?
Directly, no. But your answers should be grammatically correct to convey the meaning. The focus is more on ‘Effective Communication’ principles than English grammar rules.
What are the common questions from Unit 1?
‘Barriers to Communication’ and the ‘Communication Process Diagram’ are repeat questions. Prepare them thoroughly.
Is this subject counted in the SGPA?
Yes, it is a credit course. Scoring well here boosts your overall Semester 1 SGPA significantly as it is less demanding than core subjects.