Table of contents
- General writing
- Writing in Art and Design
- Writing in Arts
- Writing in Business and Economics
- Writing in Education
- Writing in Engineering
- Writing in Information Technology
- Writing in Law
- Writing in Medicine
- Writing in Pharmacy
- Writing in Science
Self reflection v self criticism
Some writers become confused between self-reflection and self-criticism. You need to go beyond simply admitting a weakness or mistake or failure – what is important is not only what you did, but how you felt, what you have learnt from that experience, and how it will inform your behaviour in the future.
Addressing course issues and topics
Try not to confine your writing to the event and your feelings. If possible, use it to raise new questions or to speculate about possible causes and solutions. Remember where possible to link your reflections to theoretical aspects of your course. For example:
| Original text | Alternative text |
|---|---|
| When the doctor raised his voice to the patient I felt embarrassed. It reminded me to maintain an appropriate communication style with patients when I am a doctor. | When the doctor raised his voice to the patient I felt embarrassed and the patient appeared to feel humiliated. Clearly this behaviour by the doctor was not appropriate, even though the doctor was obviously frustrated at the patient's apparent inability to understand the instructions. While it is the responsibility of every doctor to behave respectfully with patients, on this occasion an excessive workload and the lack of availability of an interpreter no doubt contributed to the doctor's behaviour. It reminded me that structural factors within the health care system, such as staffing and budgets, can impact on the quality of attention delivered to patients. |
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