Sawsan Issa Habeeb
ABSTRACT
Teaching Communication Skills Programme in Basrah Medical College: A new curriculum and students-oriented evaluation and feedback
Sawsan Issa Habeeb
Basrah medical college
Abdul salam saleh sultan
AlKindy Medical College
Objective: To elicit the opinion of students about various aspects of teaching and learning of communication skills.
Method: The questionnaire-based study was conducted at the Basrah Medical College, Basra, Iraq, for the first year
medical students, academic year 2016-2017. All the students of the class were included. Data was collected using a
questionnaire that explored students' opinion regarding the curriculum related to the communication skills
programme, like level of satisfaction with the teaching methods, the important information they had received
during the course, their perception of the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum. Data were analysed to
quantify the students' views and opinions on specific points.
Results: Of the 100 students approached, 95(95%) responded. Overall, 69(72.6%) students showed high degree of
satisfaction; 52(54.7%) mentioned the skill of listening as one of the most important things they had learned, which
was associated with emphasis on patient's narration 41(43.2%). In terms of programme's strength, 38(40%) students
identified the ability to knowing how to deal with patients, while, among the weaknesses, 25(26%) students pointed
out reliance on theoretical lecture and lack of practice. The gender of the students was not considered.
Conclusion: Teaching communication skills to first year medical students was found to be successful because of intensive
preparation, working as a team, consulting international experts, students' positive interaction and high satisfaction rate.
Keywords: Teaching undergraduates, Communication skills, Basrah, Curriculum, Arabic language.
BIO
Sawsan Issa Habeeb Aljabere
Date of birth: 23/ 12/ 1961
Marital status: Married.
Nationality: Iraq
Education: M.B.Ch.B, Basra medical University
Higher education: F.I.C.M.S. /D.C.H/ Pediatrics, 1995-1996
Present address: Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Basra.
Academic title: Professor/ Consultant Pediatrician.
Email: sawsan.habeed@uobasra.edu.iq
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xvdrAa8AAAAJ&hl=en&gmla=AJsN-F6neIhE9EwKWoo3ebYA-aOQ4TlQPR...
Research Gate https://www.researchgate.net/home
Web of Science https://publons.com/dashboard/summary/Web of Science ResearcherID G-8999-2019
Scopus : https://www.scopus.com/home.uri
ORCID : https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5804-6261
Experience:
• Head of Pediatrics department in Basra Medical College (BMC) since 1/7/2012 till 12/2019
• Head of assessment committee in BMC Medical Education Council.
• Member of the Scientific Committee of the Pediatrics Department.
• Supervisor of postgraduate students 'Iraqi and Arab board'
• Head of pediatric advisory committee since 2020
• Number of published researches (26)
• Head of nutrition rehabilitation center in Basra Teaching Hospital
Implementing communication skills (CS) curriculum as experiential learning for Basra medical college in Arabic language since 2016
Monitoring ongoing process and development of the curriculum through introducing training workbook manual for first, and second year students and facilitator workbook for integration of CS / history building in clinical training for third to sixth medical school academic years