Interdisciplinary Medical Communication Training at the University of Pecs

Medical communication training is being challenged to meet the demands of a more internationalized world. As a result, interdisciplinary simulation-based education is designed to advance clinical skill development, specifically in doctor-patient interactions. The Standardized Patient Program has been applied in American Medical Schools since the 1960s, implementing patient profiles based on authentic cases. At the University of Pecs, Medical School in Hungary, this model is being adapted to facilitate improving patient-interviewing, problem-solving, and medical reporting skills. The interdisciplinary program operates in Hungarian, German and English languages, utilizing actors to perform as simulated patients under the close observation of medical specialists and linguists. This innovative course is designed to train students to successfully collect patient histories while navigating medical, linguistic, emotional, and sociocultural complexities of patients. Experts in medicine and language assess student performance, offering feedback and providing individualized training that students might improve their professional and communicative competencies. This paper examines how this interdisciplinary course provides valuable opportunities for more efficient patient-oriented communication practices. Through responding to medical emergencies, miscommunications, and conflicts in a safe environment, medical students prepare to deal with a diverse patient context, that more qualified and empathetic health personnel may be employed throughout clinics worldwide.