Communication skills - Communication is important in every career, but none more so than in medicine. Interacting with patients and colleagues will form a huge part of your day-to-day programme, and if you have poor communicative skills, then not only will it make your job harder, but it can also put people’s lives at risk.
Emotional intelligence - In a similar vein, the ability to display tact and sensitivity – especially with patients – is another key skill.
Problem-solving skills - It’s said that much of medical diagnosis is essentially detective work, gathering clues and evidence and then working towards a cause and solution; therefore, it helps if you are a natural problem solver.
Attention to detail - When dealing with drug doses, patient histories, allergies, physiological differences, cultural customs and every other single aspect of a busy hospital ward, it’s naturally imperative that you don’t neglect the little things. In other words, attention to detail is an essential skill for any medical professional.
Decision-making skills - When it comes to patient care, all final clinical decisions are the remit of doctors; therefore, you’re going to need to be comfortable taking responsibility and making tough calls.
Professionalism - Dealing with the public isn’t easy at the best of times, but when they are stressed, sick, emotional or all three, things can turn chaotic very easily. It’s absolutely vital that you are able to remain professional at all times and not put yourself in a position where your ability to treat is compromised.
Teamwork skills - One of the key requirements for any medical professional is the ability to collaborate and work as part of a wider team. where you are giving and receiving input from other professionals such as psychiatrists or oncologists.
Leadership skills - As previously touched upon, at some point you are going to be the go-to person when it comes to clinical calls. This might be in the middle of a volatile and highly-charged acute emergency or it might be in regards to a particularly complex ongoing case.
Resilience - Admittedly, resilience is not so much a ‘skill’ as a ‘quality’, but it’s still possible to train yourself to be more robust; you will need to, as well, as becoming a doctor means exposing yourself to things that will undeniably have an impact on your worldview and your sensitivities.
Capacity for learning - Human bodies are immensely complex to the point where it’s near impossible for one person to know everything about them; doctors, however, have to get pretty damn close.