Training medical students in interpersonal relationship skills

A review of the literature on training medical students in interviewing skills reveals a neglect of experimentally controlled studies as well as methods based on the most thoroughly researched approach to training, the Rogerian "core facilitative qualities." This paper reports a description and experimental evaluation of a training method designed to increase the student's comfort in dealing with emotionally intense material and to increase his skills in the core facilitative qualities. Comparison of the experimental and control groups reveals a training effect on the student's ability to recognize and communicate empathic understanding and on attitude and personality variables.