Defining generic skills to better support the development of future health professionals: results from a scoping review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, there has been a growing interest in the role of universities in developing generic skills, in addition to disciplinary ones, to help students adapt to a changing workplace. The need to develop these skills is particularly critical for healthcare students who must face challenges in health systems. This scoping study, following Arksey and O'Malley's ([2005]. Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616) method provides an overview of the scientific literature on generic skills in health studies. The definitions, categorizations, and measurement tools from 43 articles were mapped and summarized and gaps were identified. Definitions and terms were varied but overall, generic skills are considered cross-disciplinary and cross-professional. Nevertheless, the term skill itself was not defined. The lack of consensus on categorization and assessment led us to propose a typology to group all the skills mentioned into four categories: personal, ideas and object-related, interpersonal and community-related skills. One conclusion is that generic skills are valued foremost in relation to labor market demands with an emphasis on skills such as knowledge, communication, and planning over ethical and citizenship skills that are essential for future healthcare professionals. It is imperative to consider generic skills that are necessary to face the complex challenges of today’s world.