Medical and psychology students' self-assessed communication skills: A pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe how psychology and medical students assess their own competency and skills before and after training, in which role-play was used to teach interpersonal and communication skills. METHOD: Interpersonal and communication skills were assessed with a semi-structured questionnaire before and after the training. RESULTS: The students of both medicine and psychology estimated their skill levels to be higher after the course. The psychology students estimated their skills for communication, motivating interviewing, empathy and reflection, and change orientation to be better at the end of the course. Medical students estimated their communication skills, motivating interviewing skills, and change orientation skills to be better at the end of the course. CONCLUSION: Even a short period of training in interpersonal and communication skills can positively affect the self-assessed skills of the medical students. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: In the future, it would be worthwhile to pay attention to reflective teaching practices in the training of both medical and psychology students. The cognitive and emotional components of these practices help students to develop their own communication skills.

Cognitive therapy trainees' self-reflections on their professional learning.

BACKGROUND: The widening scope of cognitive therapy models and strategies poses a challenge for designing cognitive therapy training. What are the core skills to be learned? What do learners view as important to learn and what are the skills and knowledge they focus on? AIMS: The present study describes the perceptions of CT trainees of both what is important and what is difficult to learn. We also analyse what the trainees focus on when evaluating their professional learning. In addition, we report on changes in self-assessed skills during the training. METHOD: Quantitative and qualitative data were collected after 2 years of training (n=39) in three programmes and after the entire 4-year training in four programmes (n=53). RESULTS: Significant progress was reported in all domains of therapist skills, most clearly in cognitive and constructivist strategies. The trainees practised most those skills they considered important to be learned and, consequently, they also attained a higher level of mastery in these skills. The trainees' learning orientation and foci of self-reflections remained relatively unchanged. They focused on technical and conceptual skills and knowledge, whereas interpersonal skills were peripheral in their self-reflection. CONCLUSIONS: Pedagogical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

Cognitive group therapy for depressive students: The case study.

The aims of this study were to assess whether a course of cognitive group therapy could help depressed students and to assess whether assimilation analysis offers a useful way of analysing students' progress through therapy. "Johanna" was a patient in a group that was designed for depressive students who had difficulties with their studies. The assimilation of Johanna's problematic experience progressed as the meetings continued from level one (unpleasant thoughts) to level six (solving the problem). Johanna's problematic experience manifested itself as severe and excessive criticism towards herself and her study performance. As the group meetings progressed, Johanna found a new kind of tolerance that increased her determination and assertiveness regarding the studies. The dialogical structure of Johanna's problematic experience changed: she found hope and she was more assertive after the process. The results indicated that this kind of psycho-educational group therapy was an effective method for treating depression. The assimilation analysis offered a useful way of analysing the therapy process.