Effects of LifeSkills training on medical students' performance in dealing with complex clinical cases.
OBJECTIVE
Sound clinical judgment is the cornerstone of medical practice and begins early during medical education. The authors consider the effect of personality characteristics (hostility, anger, cynicism) on clinical judgment and whether a brief intervention can affect this process.


METHODS
Two sophomore medical classes (experimental, comparison) were assessed on several personality dimensions and responded to a series of clinical vignettes. The experimental group received cognitive behavior training to improve stress, coping, and interpersonal skills. Participants were reassessed within 1 week of the initial assessment.


RESULTS
Significant associations between hostility and cynicism and maladaptive responses to the clinical vignettes were noted. Following the intervention, hostility, cynicism, anger, and aggression were significantly reduced, with concomitant reductions in maladaptive decision-making.


CONCLUSIONS
The relationship between the quality of clinical decision-making and personality characteristics was confirmed. The potential to modify this relationship using a brief cognitive behavior intervention suggests that such interventions should be an essential component of medical education.
Campo
Ana E
AE
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33101, USA. acampo@med.miami.edu
Williams
Virginia
V
Williams
Redford B
RB
Segundo
Marisol A
MA
Lydston
David
D
Weiss
Stephen M
SM
D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D000786:Anger; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007600:Judgment; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching; D016896:Treatment Outcome