Communication skills and undergraduate psychiatry: A description of an innovative approach to prepareaustralian medical students for their clinical psychiatry attachment

Abstract

Objective: To address the increasing diversity in the linguistic and ethnic backgrounds of medical students at the University of Melbourne, a program was developed to prepare students for the particular challenges in cultural literacy and idiomatic English language proficiency, especially when exploring sensitive areas of patients' personal history. The authors outline the University of Melbourne program and present two case studies. Results: Post hoc confidential survey of students' appraisals of the program is presented. Conclusion: The survey found a high level of acceptance and approval among most students. Copyright © 2005 Academic Psychiatry.