Good Bedside Manners

I worked in a doctors office for almost 3 years in high school. There was one thing that always bothered me. Some of the doctors were brilliant but the biggest jerks I've ever met. They would perform the surgery perfectly but when it came to talking with the patients, they wouldn't be bothered with it. Often nurses would have to explain to the patients what their doctor should have. The doctors lacked appropriate communication skills. Their bedside manners almost made me change my mind about being a nurse. I didn't want to have to deal with that the rest of my life. Thankfully, they weren't all like that.
According to Melissa Block, a correspondent for National Public Radio, "Medical schools and residency programs are under pressure to train doctors who are good communicators and compassionate with patients. It's a huge challenge, as young doctors are overworked and often overwhelmed by the realities of the health care system."
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5515753
If you have ever been on the receiving end of this lack of communication, it can make a problematic situation a hundred times worse. I've got what disease? What does that mean? What surgery are you going to do? If a doctor can't take the time to explain properly to his or her patients questions such as these, he or she could lose their patients. Nobody likes to be dehumanized and treated in a condescending manner. To be fair, it is not always the case that they are pompous, sometimes they really do have problems with communication.
I think that medical school should focus more on their student's communication skills. The doctors that were always booked, I noticed, were the doctors that talked with their patients. It means a lot when they take time to converse with their patients.