Does College Major Impact Performance on Medical Students' Communication Skills Assessments?

• In Event: 58.082 - Roundtable Session 25
  In Roundtable Session: 58.082-10 - Roundtable Session: Career Formation

Abstract

Medical school admissions committees use a variety of mechanisms to determine whom to admit to their programs, they often emphasize demonstration of natural science aptitude and background. However, effective communication is increasingly being stressed as key for physicians. Further, medical students with backgrounds in the humanities and social sciences may be more likely to acquire these types of skills, yet no research to date has investigated the relationship between these backgrounds and communication skill. Accordingly, this study investigates the link between medical students’ undergraduate major and their communication and interpersonal skills (CIS) score on their Graduate Competency Exams (GCE). We found that humanities or social science majors did, in fact, score significantly better on the CIS section of their GCE.

Author

• Laura Ellen Hirshfield, University of Illinois at Chicago