Self-assessment of specific interpersonal skills of medical undergraduates using immediate feedback through closed-circuit television.

For a 2-week period, fifth-year medical students of the University of Melbourne are attached to a general practice to obtain experience in primary medical care. During this time they also attend a number of seminars in the Department of Community Medicine. In one session of 45 minutes duration, pairs of students are videotaped, each role-playing a diagnostic and a management interview. To determine the value of this session in improving clinical history-taking specific interpersonal skills by self-assessment and discussion, a questionnaire was administered consecutively to three groups, each of twenty-six students. It was found that being videotaped in a role-playing situation was an acceptable procedure to most students. An analysis of the results shows that the method outlined is a practical form of immediate self-assessment, and that the technique could be used to reinforce clinical history-taking, and specific interpersonal skills of students.