title: Medical and psychology students' self-assessed communication skills: A pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to describe how psychology and medical students assess their own competency and skills before and after training, in which role-play was used to teach interpersonal and communication skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interpersonal and communication skills were assessed with a semi-structured questionnaire before and after the training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The students of both medicine and psychology estimated their skill levels to be higher after the course. The psychology students estimated their skills for communication, motivating interviewing, empathy and reflection, and change orientation to be better at the end of the course. Medical students estimated their communication skills, motivating interviewing skills, and change orientation skills to be better at the end of the course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even a short period of training in interpersonal and communication skills can positively affect the self-assessed skills of the medical students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the future, it would be worthwhile to pay attention to reflective teaching practices in the training of both medical and psychology students. The cognitive and emotional components of these practices help students to develop their own communication skills.
authors: Department of Behavioural Sciences and Philosophy, University of Turku, Finland. juhtiur@promente.fi
authors: Juhani
authors: J
authors: Tiuraniemi
authors: Riitta
authors: R
authors: Läärä
authors: Tuuli
authors: T
authors: Kyrö
authors: Sari
authors: S
authors: Lindeman
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003142:Communication; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011584:Psychology / Q000193:education*; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014743:Videotape Recording