Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Medical Students Learning Communication Skills In A Second Language: Empathy And Expectations, Muhammad Hashim, Stella Major, Deen Mirza, Engela Prinsloo, Ossama Osman, Leena Amiri, Michelle Mclean

Michelle McLean

Objectives: Communications skills (CS) training for medical interviewing is increasingly being conducted in English at medical schools worldwide. In this study, we sought to identify whether Arabic-speaking medical students experienced difficulty with the different components of the CS training that were conducted in English. Methods: Individual third-year preclinical medical students (N = 45) were videotaped while interviewing simulated patients. Each student assessed his/her performance on a 13-item (5-point scale) assessment form, which was also completed by the tutor and other students in the group. Results: Of the 13 components of their CS training, tutors awarded the lowest marks for students’ …