Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Engaging Pre-Med Students In Field-Related Dialogue: Best Practices For A Dialogic Approach To A Health-Specific Oral Communication Course, Natalie Grecu

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Using a dialogic framework as the backdrop to course curriculum, I developed an Oral Communication course for pre-med students with the goal to enhance students’ public speaking skills while also incorporating health communication and applied communication research and activities to create opportunities for engagement. I propose best practices for teaching pre-med oral communication by deconstructing “bedside manner,” emphasizing a dialogic, audience-centered approach to communication, illustrating the praxis of genuine communication, creating a supportive climate through nonverbal and small group communication tenets, and creating a space to practice genuine communication. Using this approach, the layperson understanding of “bedside manner” becomes an …