The missing curriculum: experience with emotional competence education and training for premedical and medical students

Medical education has long overlooked teaching the normal psychodynamics of everyday adult life (psychonormality) in favor of training in psychopathology. Proficiency in psychonormality skills (i.e., emotional competence) includes skilled management of internal emotions, external situations and relationships, and promotes patient satisfaction and healthcare outcomes as well as better mental health for practitioners. In particular, teaching psychonormality skills can be helpful to underrepresented minority (URM) students whose psychonormality experiences may differ from the culture of mainstream medical education. This paper outlines a clinically derived, pragmatic, five-step course designed to educate and train students for emotionally competent medical practice. A real-life example taken from an introductory workshop presentation of this course at a Student National Medical Association meeting is presented to illustrate the student-oriented application of the concepts. The enthusiastic reception accorded such workshops suggests an unmet need for this type of training in medical curricula. Benefits could include improved doctor-patient relationships and associated healthcare outcomes as well as higher retention of competent, professional, satisfied and healthier physicians, particularly URMs. Medical schools and residencies are encouraged to carefully evaluate the impact of incorporating psychonormality education and emotional competence training into their present curricula and faculty development.