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  • Title: Comparing self-reported communication skills of medical students in traditional and integrated curricula: a nationwide study.
    Author: Gude T, Baerheim A, Holen A, Anvik T, Finset A, Grimstad H, Hjortdahl P, Risberg T, Vaglum P.
    Journal: Patient Educ Couns; 2005 Sep; 58(3):271-8. PubMed ID: 16061342.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVES: To investigate medical students' self-assessments of their communication skills through medical school related to background factors, curriculum design and perceived medical school stress. METHODS: Medical students at all year levels attending Norwegian universities in the spring of 2003 were mailed the Oslo Inventory of Self-reported Communication Skills (OSISCS) developed by the authors. Of the total number of students (N=3055), 60% responded. One school had a traditional curriculum, the other three ran integrated models. RESULTS: Students assessed their instrumental communication skills to increase linearly year by year, while the relational skills showed a curve-linear trajectory reaching the optimum level half-way into the curriculum. Students attending the traditional school reported lower levels of instrumental skills compared to the students from the integrated schools. In relational skills, a similar difference was maintained half-way into the curriculum, but disappeared towards the end. Perceived medical school stress correlated to the self-reported end point levels of the two types of communication skills. DISCUSSION: The trajectories of self-reported instrumental and relational skills indicate significant variations in facilitating mechanisms between curricula, cognitive processing and perceived medical school stress. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported instrumental and relational communication skills develop differently in medical students over the years according to the type of curriculum. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Curricula should be evaluated for improvement implementations.
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