Medical Students Learning Communication Skills in a Second Language: Empathy and expectations

Abstract

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' abilities to express empathy, ask about patients' feelings, use transition statements, ask about functional impact, and elicit patients' expectations (P <0.001).

Conclusion: The expression of empathy and the ability to elicit patients' feelings and expectations are difficult to develop in medical students learning CS in a second language.

Keywords: Communication; Language; Medical history taking; Medical students; Patient-centered care; United Arab Emirates.

Figure 1:

Mean faculty ratings of components of communication skills for male and female medical students n = 44 students (34 females, 10 males, data missing for 1 female student). These data reflect the first four weeks of training only. * = statistically significant difference between male and female students.

Figure 2:

Tutor, Peer and Self-ratings of overall interviewing skills over the communication skills training period.

Figure 3:

Self-reported empathy among male and female medical students using the abbreviated Interpersonnal Reactivity Index questionnaire. n = 40 students (5 students did not return the questionnaire). The possible score range was 14–70 (higher scores indicate greater self-reported empathy).