MED3052

Clinical and communication skills III

Dr M Liddell (Community Medicine and General Practice)

Objectives The aims of this subject are (1) to build upon the basic skills of clinical and communication skills developed in MED 3051; (2) to develop more advanced communication skills, particularly in the psychosocial domain and for patients with special needs; (3) to enable students to apply their communication skills in the clinical situation; (4) to provide early practical skills teaching in a safe environment; (5) to provide a transitional experience to the predominantly clinical years.

Synopsis There are four major components. (1) Advanced clinical and communication skills. This will be taught through a range of clinical contact visits and workshops. It will cover communication in a range of situations, including with the intellectually disabled, the elderly, and with patients of non-English speaking background. There will be laboratory-style teaching of the skills of giving injections and suturing. Communication skills teaching will include IT simulations, and videotaping of student consultations with simulated patients. (2) Psychiatric history taking and mental state examination. This component is taught using seminars and clinical contact visits. There will be patient-based training in communication skills required for dealing with emotionally, behaviourally and cognitively disturbed patients and their families. (3) Clinical application of physical examination skills in the hospital setting. Small groups will undertake supervised physical examination of hospital patients. (4) The family case study will focus on a person with chronic illness, and the impact of this on that person and their family.

Assessment Family study case report: 20% · Psychiatric and mental state examination MCQ: 40% · Oral examination: 30% · Practical skills: 10%

Recommended texts

Bloch S and Singh B The foundations of clinical psychiatry MUP, 1993

Back to the 1999 Medicine Handbook