Associate Professor Olha Obukhova Participated in an Online Training on Evidence-Based Approaches to Teaching Communication Skills in Medical Education

On July 9, 2025, Associate Professor of the Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology with the Course of Medical Biology, Olha Obukhova, participated in the online training “Evidence Base for Teaching and Assessing Communication Skills”, held as part of the event series “The Person, Not the Disease: Empathy Lab in Medical Education.”

During the training, participants explored key aspects of assessing communication skills in future medical professionals. In particular, the following issues were addressed:

  • the evidence base for best international practices in this field,
  • modern approaches to using OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) for communication training,
  • balancing structured content checklists with the assessment of human connection with the patient,
  • opportunities for formative, summative, and self-assessment of communicative competencies.

Special attention was given to developing harmonized assessment approaches that combine professional objectivity with emotional sensitivity toward patients.

The training was led by Conor Gilligan, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Health and Medicine, Bond University (Australia), a researcher with extensive experience in teaching and implementing empathy development programs in medical education.

Participation in the training provided an opportunity to update knowledge on modern tools for teaching and assessing communication skills, which are essential for preparing competent and compassionate physicians.