Mind to mind: persuasion in medical writing

Much can be done to improve the quality of oral and written communication among physicians, particularly among young physicians. Good communication can be taught. Clear writing is only the reflection of clear thinking. The strong determination to make oneself unmistakable will carry the writer a long way toward his goal; indeed, the determination to be unmistakable is far more important to a writer than rules of grammar or composition. Hitherto neglected, remedial instruction in medical writing is a valuable adjunct to medical education, specifically because the conscious and unremitting attempt to make oneself clear has great catalytic influences. This effort releases hidden energies in the medical writer as is suggested by the cryptic but illuminating remark made by one of E. M. Forster's characters, an old lady who said: "How do I know what I think until I hear what I say."