AI Article Synopsis

  • The study investigates how medical students learn communication skills from patients with chronic conditions.
  • Through semi-structured interviews with 32 students, four narrative themes emerged about understanding patient perspectives and the emotional challenges faced during these interactions.
  • The findings highlight the need for structured guidance in medical education to help students balance their professional roles and personal emotions, emphasizing the incorporation of the 'doctor as person' approach.

Article Abstract

Objective: To explore what and how medical students learn from patients with chronic conditions in the context of communication skills training.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 32 medical students. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, analyzed inductively and organized into four main narrative themes.

Results: Learning from patients provided medical students opportunities to see the world through the patients' eyes, understand the diversity of patients' needs, and recognize the importance of matching patients' and doctors' perspectives. Consequently, students expressed emotional responses on challenges in interactions with the patients related to performing the role as 'medical expert'. Difficulty empathizing became visible in the students' interaction with patients.

Conclusion: The patients' authentic contributions provided the students with unique opportunities to engage with their own emotions and capacity for empathy. However, for students to benefit from this affective practical training, they need guidance to balance professional and personal aspects in encounters. There is a need to introduce the 'doctor as person' in medical education.

Practice Implications: Patients with chronic conditions strengthen students' learning of empathy as part of transformative learning. Doing so with patients is a challenging way of learning. Thus, faculty and educators must provide explicit guidance for students to benefit.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.12.015DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

medical students
16
patients chronic
12
chronic conditions
12
students
8
communication skills
8
learning patients
8
students benefit
8
patients
6
medical
5
ignitions empathy
4

Similar Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use the advanced technique of Network Intervention Analysis (NIA) to investigate the trajectory of symptom change associated with the effects of self-control training on youth university students' chronic ego depletion aftereffects.

Methods: The nine nodes of chronic ego depletion aftereffects and integrated self-control training were taken as nodes in the network and analyzed using NIA. Networks were computed at the baseline, at the end of treatment, at 1-, 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-month follow up.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus worldwide necessitates that medical undergraduates acquire a deep understanding of the disease to ensure accurate diagnosis and effective management. Traditional teaching methods, while foundational, often lack the interactive elements that enhance student engagement and knowledge retention. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel educational board game, "Diabe-teach," in enhancing knowledge retention among medical students compared with conventional self-study methods.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Maintenance of oral health, prevention, and health promotion stand as primary competencies for dental graduates. Consequently, it is necessary to promote such an approach in dental schools, which are traditionally focused on treatment, to improve the attitude and practice of students in the field of prevention, the final result of which is the reduction of oral and dental diseases in patients. The study aimed to design Integrated Oral Health Care Pathways (IOHCPs) for adults and children referred to Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), School of Dentistry.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: This study evaluates both financial and non-financial preferences of nursing students to choose a hospital for work in future.

Background: In Iran's healthcare system, the persistent shortage and uneven distribution of nurses have been significant challenges. Addressing such issues requires attention to nurses' preferences, which can be instrumental in designing effective interventions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In the modern medical education system, teaching of clinical neurology in outpatient settings is crucial for training future neurologists. The neurology outpatient clinic is a pivotal setting for both initial consultations and follow-up visits. It plays a significant role in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing monitoring of neurological disorders, and is a critical platform for clinical education.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!