Teaching communication competencies across the undergraduate medical curriculum: a qualitative exploratory case study

Communication skills are essential for ethical, person-centered care and interprofessional collaboration. Although their importance in medical education is well established, there is limited evidence on how they are integrated across undergraduate curricula, particularly in Latin American. This study explored how communication skills are represented and taught within the formal Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum of an undergraduate medical program in Colombia.

We conducted an exploratory case study through documentary content analysis of course syllabi from Universidad de los Andes, representing 19.52% of the total academic credits of the undergraduate medical curriculum. Coding followed the School of Medicine communication competencies framework. The analysis explored the ways in which Communication competencies are represented and taught across the 16 undergraduate medical courses. Descriptive frequency counts were used to highlight patterns in how these competencies are incorporated through the curriculum.

Content analysis identified variations in communication competencies across themes and disciplines. Communication and teamwork were most frequently addressed, while emotionally sensitive communication and interpersonal relationship skills appeared less often. Although several courses included communication outcomes, there was limited incorporation of systematic, longitudinal development-particularly in patient-centered communication, safe communication protocols, and emotional competencies.

This study highlights the need for meaningful integration of communication competencies within the curriculum, fostering their longitudinal development and contextualization across areas. It also emphasizes encouraging student engagement and addressing the perception of communication skills as innate traits. Findings provide a foundation for curricular planning and future research to strengthen communication training in undergraduate medical education within Latin American settings.