Creation of a graduate oral/written communication skills course.

OBJECTIVE

To convert a traditional graduate seminar course into a class that emphasizes written as well as oral communication skills.

DESIGN

Graduate pharmacology/toxicology students presented formal and informal seminars on their research progress and on recent peer-reviewed literature from the field. Students in the audience wrote critiques of the research project or article, as well as of the presentations themselves.

ASSESSMENT

Students were evaluated based on oral presentations, class participation, and a scientific writing component. All faculty members provided constructive written comments and a grade. The course master provided the presenter with a formal written review and returned a "red pen" revision of each student critique.

CONCLUSION

This novel seminar/writing course introduces intensive focus on writing skills, which are especially essential today given the large number of graduate students for whom English is not a first language.