Year: 2025 | Month: October-December | Volume: 10 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 232-238
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijshr.20250433
Developing Communication Skills in Surgical Residents in Emergency Setting
Jishan Ahmed1, Tripti Srivastava2, Farhana Shaheen Hussain3
1Professor, Department of General Surgery, Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, Assam
2Professor, Department of Physiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education & Research, Wardha (MS)
3Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, Assam.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Farhana Shaheen Hussain
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Effective communication is a foundation competency for medical professionals, yet training often falls short, especially during residencies. This leads to a decline in inter-personal skills without constant honing. For surgical residents, communicating effectively in emergencies is more than a soft skill; it is necessary for rapid decision-making and interdisciplinary collaborations under pressure.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a structured training program to enhance communication skills of surgical residents in high-stress situations. It also aimed to use participant-feedback to refine and develop a routine training module.
Methodology: This was a six-month, single centre, interventional study enrolling all 1st and 2nd year surgical residents who volunteered. The Kalamazoo’s Essential Elements Communication checklist was used to quantify skills in a pre-test, followed by three months targeted training and finally a post-test. Student’s t-test was used to compare mean scores, considering p<0.05 statistically significant
Results: Scores post-training showed a statistically significant improvement across nearly all elements of the Kalamazoo’s checklist, confirming the positive impact of the intervention. Qualitative feedback highlighted the residents’ appreciation for the training in active listening and role of non-verbal cues. Faculty observation of simulated scenarios further validated the residents’ enhanced empathy and clarity.
Conclusion: The significant improvement underscored the need for a structured communication training program for surgical residents in emergency situations and a recommendation for a target-oriented module to be seamlessly integrated in the first-year residency programme is put across
Keywords: Communication skills, Surgical residents, medical education, Kalamazoo checklist, Postgraduate training