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A Practical Approach to Integrating Communication Skills and Early Clinical Experience into the Preclinical Medical School Curriculum

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Abstract

Background

Effective integration of early clinical experiences (ECE) with preclinical curricula is challenging, given the limited knowledge-base of students and the unpredictability of clinical environments. Integration of ECE with communication skills (CS) training presents an attractive opportunity since CSs apply to all types of clinical encounters and are independent of students’ medical knowledge. We present an ECE program that integrates formal CS training with the realities of clinical practice.

Methods

Five ECE sessions occur throughout the first year of medical school, each focusing on a specific set of CSs previously introduced in class. Students actively observe preceptors use these skills, briefly practice them, write a critical analysis on each experience, and discuss these in small groups. To identify the perceived usefulness and impact of the ECE on students’ CS learning, we analyzed the critical analyses and post intervention evaluations from students and preceptors. Descriptive analyses used SAS for Windows. Thematic content analysis using constant comparison was used to review and code narrative data, and the most commonly referred to impacts, strengths, and limitations of ECE were identified.

Results

Analysis of the students’ critical analyses identified the following main themes: (1) integration between ECE and formal CS teaching, (2) importance of effective CS to the delivery of good patient care, and (3) adaptability of CS to specific clinical contexts. Preceptors did not perceive the program as an added burden.

Conclusions

ECE with focused goals, critical analyses, and small group debriefing can be used to effectively teach and reinforce formal classroom CS training.

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Availability of Data and Material

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available because they contain protected student information and curricular content, but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

COM:

College of Medicine

CS:

Communication skills

ECE:

Early clinical experience

HPI:

History of present illness

ROS:

Review of systems

US:

United States

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 1216H MERF, 375 Newton Rd, Iowa City, IA, 52242-2600, USA

    Amal Shibli-Rahhal

  2. Physician Assistant Program, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Anthony Brenneman

  3. University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Megan McVancel

  4. Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education and Department of Family Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Marcy Rosenbaum

Authors
  1. Amal Shibli-Rahhal
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  2. Anthony Brenneman
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  3. Megan McVancel
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  4. Marcy Rosenbaum
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Contributions

ASR performed the descriptive analyses. ASR, AB, and MR performed the qualitative analyses. All authors contributed to the editing of the manuscript, and read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amal Shibli-Rahhal.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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This research was submitted to the University of Iowa institutional review board, which deemed it as exempt from human subject approval.

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Shibli-Rahhal, A., Brenneman, A., McVancel, M. et al. A Practical Approach to Integrating Communication Skills and Early Clinical Experience into the Preclinical Medical School Curriculum. Med.Sci.Educ. 29, 947–957 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-019-00779-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-019-00779-1

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