Challenges Faced by Lecturers in Teaching Interpersonal CommunicationSkills Online to Medical Students at University Malaysia Sarawak

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about changes in the teaching and learning process at overall educational institutions and higher educational institution such as universities also affected. The pandemic period had an impact on the implementation of online teaching and learning with medical students at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Malaysia Sarawak. It is important to develop medical students' interpersonal communication skills by shifting theoretical and practical courses to virtual courses, which encourage the students to adapt early in their medical student careers. Interpersonal communication is needed in the context of building an educational civilization in shaping the medical student personality. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions have been required to conduct teaching and learning activities from face-to-face classes to fully online classes. The challenge today is the loss of interpersonal communication caused by online teaching and learning. This study examines the challenges faced by the lecturers at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Malaysia Sarawak. This study adapted the qualitative method through a phenomenological approach. Semi-structured In-depth interviews were conducted with lecturers who were experienced in teaching medical students. The data transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematically to encode the main themes and subthemes. There are several challenges identified in online learning such as limited non-verbal cues, reduced student engagement and emotional disconnect, technological barriers and assessment difficulties for lecturers in teaching using interpersonal communication skills to medical students at University Malaysia Sarawak.