Language background and communication skills of medical students

Objective: The increasing proportion of medical students whose primary language is other than English and recent reports of poor communication skills of medical graduates has generated community concern about the methods of selection of students and their communication skills training. This paper examines the relationship between language background and examination performance in oral communication skills in Year 5 medical students.

Method: Questionnaire data from all Year 5 students in the 1992 general practice terms were matched to examination results.

Results: Seventy percent of students responded. Most students whose primary language was not English passed, although some required remedial communication skills tuition. The most powerful predictors of poor performance were recent arrival in Australia and living in an environment where English was not spoken at home.

Conclusion: Students with poor English oral communication skills should be encouraged to speak English away from the medical school and should be offered additional tuition so that their skills in other languages are not lost to the health‐care system.     

Efficacy of breast cancer appeals for promoting physical activity

Background. We investigated the efficacy of breast cancer prevention messages in increasing intentions to be more active. Method. We randomly assigned 200 females aged 30–60 years to a breast cancer and physical activity message or a cardiovascular disease and physical activity message. Results. The breast cancer message was more believable and slightly more motivating to increase physical activity than the cardiovascular disease message, and 72% of respondents in the breast cancer condition increased their intention to increase their physical activity. Conclusion. The benefit of reducing the risk of breast cancer can be used to motivate increased physical activity in women.     

Development of a cancer camp for adult spanish-speaking survivors: Lessons learned from camp alegria

BACKGROUND: The serious psychosocial and emotional side effects of cancer and its treatment negatively affect the lives of breast cancer survivors. METHODS: Camp Alegria, in 2005, was the first oncology camp offered to Latina breast cancer survivors. This 3-day camp (N = 58 women) provided a culturally and linguistically relevant program that empowered Spanish-speaking women diagnosed with breast cancer and gave them an opportunity to gain support from other cancer survivors facing similar challenges. RESULTS: Process evaluation results illustrate high satisfaction with the overall program, format, educational and recreational activities. CONCLUSION: This paper describes the camp development, experiences, and lessons learned.     

New-onset juvenile dermatomyositis. Comparisons with a healthy cohort and children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Objective. To determine, in a case-control study, if patients with new-onset juvenile dermatomyositis (juvenile DM) have increased symptoms prior to onset, exposure to certain environmental conditions, frequency of familial autoimmune diseases, or antibody titers, compared with 2 control groups. Methods. A structured interview with the families of 80 children with juvenile DM, 40 children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), or 23 healthy children, from the same geographic area as the children with juvenile DM, was conducted. All children's sera were tested for antibody to Toxoplasma gondii, herpes simplex virus (HSV), or coxsackievirus B (CVB). Results. A high proportion of children with juvenile DM had constitutional symptoms 3 months before the disease-onset date (P = 0.013 versus control children). Children with JRA had more relatives with rheumatoid arthritis (P = 0.0001) and pernicious anemia (P = 0.003) than did children with juvenile DM or healthy children. Among children ⩽7 years of age, elevated enteroviral titers were more frequent in those with juvenile DM (81%) and in healthy controls (90%) than in those with JRA (64%), suggesting a common environmental exposure. Titers to T gondii, HSV, or CVB 1-6 were normal. Conclusion. Frequencies of familial autoimmune disease, exposure to environmental factors, or elevated antibody titers to T gondii, HSV, or CVB are not increased in juvenile DM. Children with juvenile DM do have symptoms of illness 3 months before the disease-onset date, and young patients have elevated enteroviral titers, as do young geographic controls.