Empathy, Introversion and the OSCE. Reflections of a 2nd Year Medical Student

Abstract

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Clinical communication skills training is a key element of modern medical education as it has been shown to have multiple benefits in delivering healthcare. Various factors affect clinical communication and we believe that personality is a major one. As an introverted second year medical student who has recently failed his Objectively Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) despite passing the written knowledge examination with flying colours, I reflect on my OSCE experience and try to understand the reasons that caused my failure. Methods for improving communication skills such as role plays, systematic desensitisation and remediation are suggested. Although there is one study that has shown that introverted students score lower in OSCEs compared to extroverted students, more research is needed in this area in order to draw meaningful conclusions. Therefore, a research study is suggested to look into the correlation between personality traits and OSCE results. If a correlation is indeed found, it may suggest that medical schools should provide additional support in communication skills for introverted students.