Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Emergency Undocking in Robotic Surgery: A Simulation Curriculum
Published on: May 20, 2018
By the Students, for the Students: Operation Conversation Enhances Preclinical Students' Confidence in Challenging
Anika Agrawal1, Allison Dentice2, April Zehm3
1School of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, aagrawal@mcw.edu.
Background:
Effective communication improves outcomes, yet communication skills training remains underrepresented in preclinical medical education. Operation Conversation, a student-designed and mentored program focused on difficult conversations, was integrated into the core curriculum to address this gap.
Methods:
Preclinical medical students participated in small-group experiential learning sessions using personally selected, simulated scenarios. Each session included facilitator observation and feedback. Anonymous qualitative comments and quantitative feedback were collected to assess learner satisfaction and changes in self-confidence.
Results:
Eighty-one percent of participants reported being "extremely satisfied" with the program and said they would recommend it to peers. Self-confidence increased across all program objectives, and participants said the exercises were realistic and timely.
Conclusions:
This student-championed program builds communication confidence through experiential learning and feedback. Learners valued the program and appreciated its relevance. Future work will examine participants' longitudinal communication performance through standardized assessments.
More Related Videos
09:55Bridging the Technology Divide in the COVID-19 Era: Using Virtual Outreach to Expose Middle and High School Students to Imaging Technology
Published on: September 28, 2022
09:52Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
Published on: January 15, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Role of Communication in the Nursing Process II: Planning and Implementation
Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
Therapeutic Communication
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...
Barriers to Effective Communication I
Communication barriers include the following:
Physiological barriers: They are limitations caused by a person's health condition or disability, such as hearing loss, poor eyesight, illness, or unconsciousness. An example to overcome this...
Communication
Communication