Communication Skills
Clear, compassionate communication is a critical skill for physicians to master. To assess your ability to communicate with patients, physicians and other health professionals, our trainees are assessed regularly through the 360 degree evaluation system, focused conferences, and observed trainee-patient interactions.
1. Patients
2. Attending physicians - in Work and Teaching Attending Rounds - and fellow houseofficers
3. Nurses
4. Other Allied Healthcare Personnel
5. 6-Competency OSCE - Every other year interns and residents perform 6-Competency objective structured clinical examination ("OSCE") one station of which is a "trained patient" who assesses communication skills.
6. Clinical Skills Examination (CEX) - All interns' and residents' communication skills are assessed yearly, when they perform an observed complete history and physical on an inpatient (Full clinical skills examination or "CEX"), every other year by a "trained patient" in our 6-Competency objective structured clinical examination ("OSCE") and on Teaching Attending Rounds when they are asked to obtain a brief history and/or perform a focused physical examination.
7. Attending Rounds - Teaching attendings go to the bedside of at least one patient each session with their team to either interview and/or examine patients. During these bedside visits, one trainee is selected to perform a clinical skill (history-taking or focused examination) with the team and attending observing (="mini-CEX"). The Teaching attending then models optimal performance and provides verbal and written (using subsets of the full CEX form) feedback to the trainee.
Teaching and Work Rounds Attendings require that trainees demonstrate BOTH complete case presentations and mastery of the "5-minute" presentation. Both Teaching Attendings and Work Rounds Attendings are also encouraged to examine regularly written documentation for completeness and accuracy. Trainees are given "feedback" about the assessments. Also during "Program Director's Rounds" once a month, the Program Director reviews written documentation and provides both verbal and written feedback.
One Teaching Attending Rounds each month is conducted by the Program Director wherein 1/3 of the session is dedicated to mastery of the "5-minute" presentation, 1/3 to systematic (Beysian) medical reasoning, and the final 1/3 to appropriate, comprehensive medical documentation (through records reviews).
8. Conferences (Morning Reports) - Residents present cases at every Morning Report and are given direct and immediate feedback regarding their oral presentation skills.
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A summary of all six ACGME competencies may be downloaded from the following link.
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