Good ideas for teaching: Design and implementation of the communication workshop "me as team member" for third-year medical students.

Abstract

Effective communication within a medical team is crucial not only because it results in higher job satisfaction and better joint decision-making among team members, but also because, ultimately, it makes for high-quality, patient-centered care. Since the transition to the clinical phase of study poses a challenge for many medical students, the University of Lübeck introduced "Ich im Team" (me as team member), a German-language communication workshop for third-year medical students, in the 2020/21 winter semester. The workshop forms a basis for future collaboration and is meant to strengthen the interpersonal skills needed for working in teams, communicating with patients, and supporting a no-blame culture. This workshop, which incorporates elements of improvisational theater and coaching, was offered for the first time in 2020/21. Due to the positive evaluations, it has been a required component of the curriculum since the 2021/22 winter semester. The students have accepted the workshop very well, which is reflected in the excellent evaluations of it. Furthermore, a research study carried out during the first two times the workshop was conducted showed, among other things, directly positive effects on the ability to work in interprofessional teams and handle mistakes. The workshop offers students a solid point of entry into the clinical setting and an awareness of their own role on a given team. Covering the content in more depth and the possible inclusion of other study programs are being discussed.