Graduate Medical Education

Interpersonal Skills and Communication

ACGME Common Program Requirements state that each residency/fellowship program must require its residents/fellows to obtain competence in Interpersonal Skills and Communication. It is necessary for programs to define the specific knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes required, as well as provide educational experiences as needed in order for their residents and fellows to demonstrate competency in this competency area.

Interpersonal Skills and Communication requires the resident/fellow to skills that are effective in the exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, and health professionals. Residents/fellows are expected to develop skills and habits to be able to:

Communicate effectively with patients, families, and the public, as appropriate, across a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds;
Communicate effectively with physicians, other health professionals, and health related agencies;
Work effectively as a member or leader of a health care team or other professional group;
Act in a consultative role to other physicians and health professions, and health related agencies;
Work effectively as a member or leader of a health care team or other professional group;
Act in a consultative role to other physicians and health professionals; and
Maintain comprehensive, timely and legible medical records, if applicable.

Program Improvement activities assure full integration of this and other competencies with learning and clinical care. To review several recommended evaluation methodologies, click here.

Core Assessment Systems are essential to improving resident performance in this competency as well as the other competencies. To review an example of comprehensive core assessment system, which uses multiple methodologies and raters, click here.

Key Components:

Common Program Requirements (effective 7/1/07) are available at the ACGME website. ACGME also has provided a Program Director's Guide to the Common Program Requirements that became effective 7/1/07.

Examples of Interpersonal Skills and Communication Curricula:

Examples of Interpersonal Skills and Communication Evaluation Tools:

Evaluation of Competencies (generic competencies)
Annual Evaluation Form with Competencies (use for promotion)
Summary Evaluation Form with Competencies (use for graduation)

ACGME also has provided a resource, Advancing Education in Interpersonal Skills at Communication. You may access the resource by clicking here. In addition, you may access the resource, Approaches to Assessment, by clicking here. ACGME also have a toolbox of recommended methods for assessment you may wish to review.

This page was last updated on: January 23, 2008.

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