Decades ago, physicians were presumed to hone their
“soft” communication skills at patients’ bedsides, in their
rounds as residents, and as students at the elbows of master
clinicians. Today, the communication and interpersonal
skills of the physician-in-training are no longer viewed as
immutable personal styles that emerge during residency but,
instead, as a set of measurable and modifiable behaviors that
can evolve. Based on emerging literature on the value of
effective communication, medical students and postgraduates
are increasingly given instruction on techniques for listening,
explaining, questioning, counseling, and motivating. As such
techniques are central to delivering a full and tailored health
prescription, 65% of medical schools now teach communications
skills.5 Training in patient-physician communication
is also now objectively evaluated as a core competency in
various accreditation settings, including the Comprehensive
Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination—USA—Performance
Evaluation, the United States Medical Licensing
Examination, and the American Board of Medical Specialties’
certification.