Introduction of Role-play for Teaching Communication Skills to MBBS Phase III (Part 1) Students in Respiratory Medicine

Abstract Context: Effective communication is essential in a doctor’s professional development. Traditional lectures alone cannot adequately teach these skills. Role-plays in a structured classroom setting allow students to understand both doctor and patient perspectives, while also fostering empathy. Aims: This study aimed to assess the perceptions of Phase III (Part-1) MBBS students and faculty in a medical college regarding the use of role-play as a teaching–learning method for communication skills in respiratory medicine. Materials and Methods: Following the sensitization of all department faculty members, two modules centered on commonly encountered cases in respiratory medicine, specifically addressing “pulmonary tuberculosis” and “bronchial asthma,” were developed and finalized by subject matter experts within the department. One hundred and twenty-three students from MBBS Phase III (Part 1) actively participated in role-play sessions, with prior written informed consent. The faculty acted as facilitators involved in conducting a debriefing session. Subsequently, both students and faculty members completed a questionnaire designed to gather perceptions on the use of role-play in respiratory medicine as a teaching method for communication skills. The data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tools. Results: A total of 123 MBBS Phase III (Part 1) students participated in this study. The majority of the students (95.9%) and faculty (100%) felt that role-play helped in teaching communication skills. Conclusions: Role-play can be used as an effective tool to teach communication skills to undergraduate medical students in respiratory medicine.