Teaching medical students to express empathy by exploring patient emotions and experiences in standardized medical encounters.

Objectives: To increase medical students' ability to detect contextual and emotional cues and to respond empathetically to patients.

Methods: a training course in communication skills and patient-centered care with different teaching activities (didactic, reflective and interactive: workshops and encounters with simulated patients) was delivered to third-year medical students just before their clerkships. The program was evaluated by an external observer (OE) and simulated patients (SP) in 2 or 3 videotaped encounters.