title: Communication skills in a Lebanese medical school: from movie theaters to medical classrooms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Communication skills are widely taught in US medical schools, but in Lebanon, such teaching is in its infancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  At the American University of Beirut, we piloted a communication skills teaching package using video scenarios in Arabic. A total of 150 second-year medical students addressed eight communication issues in a 3-hour multi-method workshop that included watching and discussing video clips and role-playing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students evaluated the sessions positively for relevancy, quality of video clips, teaching methods, and usefulness for future practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This interactive, role-playing workshop proved highly acceptable to Arab students and has been permanently incorporated into the curriculum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon. brsaab@aub.edu.lb
authors.forename: Basem Roberto
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Saab
authors.forename: Jinan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Usta
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Major
authors.forename: Umayya
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Musharrafieh
authors.forename: Khalil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ashkar
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012577:Schools, Medical; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D014743:Videotape Recording