for medical educators

Medical Educators:  Pathways

Medical and clinical educators involved in the training of IMGs can use the Doctors Speak Up resource to gain a greater understanding of the language and communication issues that IMGs may find challenging; it can also be used as a teaching resource in communication skills workshops for IMGs.

Understanding language and communication issues that some IMGs can find challenging: the introductions to the various activities on this site often contain simple explanations for common language issues. Supporting activities were developed to address specific communication issues with a focus on pronunciation.  The issues were identified from analysis of videos of practise OSCE workshops, and they were also informed by discussions with supervisors of IMGs. 

Suggestions for communication skills workshops:  

  • As a group – awareness raising – discuss the process and content skills necessary for an effective medical interview using the Calgary-Cambridge guide as a framework, then watch the videos with workshop participants, asking them to comment on the interactions using the Calgary-Cambridge framework as a guide.
  • Run a workshop with a simulated patient using a case similar to the ones shown on Doctors Speak Up. Request participants to view the videos prior to the workshop. Depending on your resources, run one or several stations asking some participants to act as observers and provide feedback. If you have access to an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, ask the ESL teacher to provide feedback using the CALF template (Woodward-Kron, Stevens and Flynn, 2011).

 

 

Suggestions for using Doctors Speak Up with individuals:

  • The activities on this site relate to the specific cases presented in the videos and focus on vocabulary, grammar, communication or pronunciation. A spreadsheet of the activities has been provided so that users can monitor the activities they have completed.

 

  • Ask participants to reflect on the communication activities – either in group discussion or reflective journals.  If this is not practical, participants can also discuss their reflections with close colleagues or family members.

 

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for Doctors Speak Up.  contact us.

Go to the resources page for more links and other useful information.