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