Diagnostically Fit for the Future? The Students’ Perspective

ObjectivesMedical students training incorporates learning how to take a medical history with an increasing focus on professional bedside manner and communication training. This study examined students’ evaluation of the communication training classes at the Medical University of Vienna.MethodsA survey based on a self-administered questionnaire with 16 questions about five main categories: social skills and communication, demeanour, expertise, ability to combine communicative and expert skills/knowledge was sent to students in their third, fourth, fifth and sixth academic year.ResultsThe majority of students rated the communication classes positively, especially, they felt their communicative and social skills improved much. However, large deficits were pointed out in the transfer of expertise and the lack of improvement in the ability to combine communicative and expert skills/knowledge.ConclusionsThis data indicates the need for re-evaluation of the training of social and communicative skills at medical universities, especially we propose the integration of field specific history taking and communication frameworks.