Lifelong Learning Indicators in Medical Students After a Novel Communication Skills Session

Abstract

ContextA growth mindset and mastery approach have gained attention as useful learning orientations in medical education, however few studies of interventions to foster these orientations exist. ObjectivesWe sought to discover whether a communication skills session on delivering serious news could foster a communication growth mindset and/or a mastery approach in medical students. MethodsThis was an interventional survey study of third-year medical students before and after a session on delivering serious news. Students were administered a communication mindset survey before and after the session; achievement goal and learning environment surveys were administered after the session. Chi-square tests were used to assess the difference in pre and post mindsets. Logistic regression was used to determine the odds of achieving a mastery approach with pre- and post-communication growth mindset as the independent variables. ResultsStudents’ communication growth mindset increased from 79% (n = 186) before the intervention to 92% (n = 142) after the intervention. Achievement goal analysis demonstrated that 64% (n = 91) of students had a mastery approach, 14% (n = 20) had a performance approach and 22% (n = 32) had an avoidant approach. Ninety-nine percent (n = 151) felt the session provided a safe learning environment. The odds of having a mastery approach correlated with both pre and post-intervention growth mindset, with post-session growth mindset having the strongest correlation. ConclusionsA novel communication skills session on delivering serious news fostered a communication growth mindset in third year medical students. Most students exhibited a mastery approach to learning; this approach was more likely when they had a growth mindset.