Hull York Medical School showcases exceptional communication skills research

Undergraduate MB BS student Nora Grandal and Dr Bill Laughey

Hull York Medical School tutor Dr Bill Laughey and undergraduate MB BS student Nora Grandal showcased Hull York Medical School's commitment to exceptional communication skills training as they presented research at the Oxford Empathy Programme International Colloquium and the Society for Academic Primary Care meeting in Kendal.

The Oxford Empathy Programme, brought together medical practitioners, philosophers, psychologists and sociologists to discuss and promote the importance of empathy in clinical practice.

Bill and Nora further shared their research at the Society for Academic Primary Care meeting, reminding other medical schools and GP academics of the importance of empathy and listening in patient relations.  

The team presented research results from a Health Professions Education MSc thesis entitled 'Empathy and medical communication', which demonstrates the impact of good communication on patient care. They focused on the ways in which simulated patients are used to teach communication skills to undergraduates at Hull York Medical School, and showed how placing strong communication at the centre of the curriculum arms our graduates with the skills they need to become the adaptable, confident, empathetic doctors of the future.