There are seven traits that patients prefer their doctors to possess, according to WebMD. The ideal physicians should be confident, respectful, thorough, humane, personal, forthright and empathetic.

Unfortunately, not all doctors possess these desired traits. For cancer patients who are already dealing with the burden that comes with their disease, having an unsympathetic physician can make visits to the hospital even harder. To help solve this problem, a researcher from Duke University developed and tested an interactive training tool for doctors in a recent study.

"Often, when patients bring up their worries, doctors change the subject or focus on the medical treatment, rather than the emotional concern," said James A. Tulsky, director of the Duke Center for Palliative Care and lead author of the study.

Tulsky and colleagues audio-recorded four to eight visits between 48 physicians and advanced cancer patients. Half of the doctors then listened to a CD on basic communication skills, as well as audio from their previous sessions with feedback on where they could make improvements. When these doctors were recorded again they showed increased signs of empathy toward their patients.

Individuals who have an interest in becoming a doctor may want to take a personality test to see if they have the traits necessary to work with patients.

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