title: Clinical communication skills learning outcomes among first year medical students are consistent irrespective of participation in an interview for admission to medical school.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although contentious most medical schools interview potential students to assess personal abilities such as communication.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate any differences in clinical communication skills (CCS) between first year students admitted to UQ medical school with or without an admissions interview.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of 1495 student assessment scores obtained after structured communication skills training (CCS) between 2007 and 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average assessment score was 3.76 ([95% CI, 3.73-3.78]) and adjusting for student characteristics, showed no main effect for interview (p = 0.89). The strongest predictor of scores was gender with females achieving significantly higher scores (3.91 [95% CI, 3.54-4.28] vs. 3.76 [95% CI, 3.39-4.13]; p ≤ 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data show no differences in post-training assessment measures between students who were interviewed during selection or not. Further research about the quality and retention of communications skills after training is warranted.
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland , Australia and.
authors.forename: Mavourneen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: Diann
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eley
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Connor
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003142:Communication; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011793:Queensland; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012570:School Admission Criteria / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012577:Schools, Medical; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult