TY - JOUR AU - Watt, David AU - Violato, Claudio AU - Lake, Deidre AU - Baig, Lubna PY - 2010/07/07 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Effectiveness of a Clinically Relevant Educational Program for Improving Medical Communication and Clinical Skills of International Medical Graduates JF - Canadian Medical Education Journal JA - Can. Med. Ed. J VL - 1 IS - 2 SE - Original Research DO - 10.36834/cmej.36541 UR - https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cmej/article/view/36541 SP - e70-e80 AB - <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 29.5pt 6pt 0in; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; tab-stops: 467.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Background:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To assess the efficacy of a 16 week, intensive, full-time medical communication and clinical skills educational program &ndash; Medical Communication Assessment Project (M-CAP) &ndash; at the Universities of Calgary and Alberta for improving medical communication, clinical skills and professionalism of international medical graduates (IMGs).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>There is an 8 week didactic course (language instructors, standardized clinical case scenarios) and an 8 week supervised clinical placement.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 29.5pt 6pt 0in; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; tab-stops: 467.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Method:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In Study 1, 39 IMGs (mean age = 35.6) participated in the M-CAP program and were assessed in English language proficiency in a pre- post-test design and on an in training evaluation report (ITER) by practicum physicians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>In Study 2, there were 235 IMGs (mean age = 39.2).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>In addition to the pre- post-test design, there was a comparison group analysis on OSCE data employing multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Pre- post-test data were also collected on ITERs during the practicum as was IMG reported program efficacy data.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 29.5pt 6pt 0in; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; tab-stops: 467.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Results:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 110%;">The findings show that the participants in the M-CAP program have 1) very large gains in language proficiency (listening and speaking, reading and writing; <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">p</em> &lt; .001), and 2) high ratings on scales from the practicum physicians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The between group analyses showed that M-CAP participants outperformed the non M-CAP participants on clinical skills and professionalism (<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">p</em> &lt; .05).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The IMGs gave very positive ratings to the M-CAP program.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 29.5pt 0pt 0in; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; tab-stops: 467.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Conclusions:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">IMGs who participated in a clinically relevant educational program improved their English language proficiency, clinical skills and professionalism <span style="color: black;">for medical practice in a host country.</span></span></span></p> ER -