Role-play for Interns Posted at a Rural Health Training Center attached to a Medical College of a District Located in Western India: A Learning about Communication

Abstract

Introduction: Effective communication is essential for medical professionals. Role-play is widely used as an educational method for learning about communication in medical education. This paper shares experience and process of role-play and explores students' and faculties’ experiences on the same. Aim: To utilize role-play for developing competence in specific skills associated with medical interviewing and communication by Interns posted at a Rural Health Training Center attached to a Medical College. Objectives: 1. To explore attitudes of interns towards communication skills learning. 2. To obtain the feedback of interns and faculties towards identifying key elements for improvising guidelines for effective role-play within learning context. Method: Medical students undergoing internship participated in the role-play session as part of their communication skill programme. Before and after the training sessions and acting, students participated in discussion regarding role plays and good communication skills. Reports prepared by students on their experience were thematically analyzed. Results: 98% of students reported that role-play was helpful in learning. Students reported the key aspects of effective role-play as; opportunities for observation, rehearsal and discussion, realistic roles and alignment of roles with other aspects of the curriculum. Faculties opined that the role-play was well accepted by the students. There remains future scope to improvise upon the guidelines to overcome the challenges encountered. Conclusion: Role-play was valued by students in the acquisition of communication skills. Guidelines drawn for effective role-play included adequate preparation, alignment of roles and tasks with level of practice, structured feedback guidelines and acknowledgment of the importance of social interactions for learning. Regular courses on effective communication should be included in the medical school curriculum.

Keywords

• attitude
• communication skills
• interns
• role-play