[Communication in medicine: a new and much needed curricular alternative]

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Communication

Background:

• Current medical education inadequately addresses essential communication practices.
• Limited curricular time is allocated to communication skills in medical schools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel approach for teaching and learning communication in medicine.
• To enhance the development of communication skills among medical students.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive review of existing literature on medical communication education.
• Synthesis of findings to propose an effective teaching and learning strategy.

Main Results:

• An approach for developing communication practices has been developed.
• This approach is applicable to both undergraduate and postgraduate medical students.

Conclusions:

• Medical communication education requires significant expansion within medical school curricula.
• Integrating robust communication training is crucial for effective patient care and professional development.