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Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
MD Education

Effective Communication & Interpersonal Skills

Our graduates will demonstrate verbal and non-verbal communication and interpersonal skills and strategies that result in respectful, compassionate and effective decision-making and exchanges of information with patients, families, members of the healthcare team and other colleagues.

Expand the entries below to learn more about benchmarks in these competencies.

 ECIS - 1

Listen empathically and effectively to patients, colleagues and teachers.

  • Does Not Meet: Does not demonstrate engaged, active listening. Is either disengaged or impedes conversation.
  • Phase 1-2 Benchmark: Listens in an engaged and empathic manner, verbally (e.g., facilitating remarks) and nonverbally (e.g., eye contact and body language). Uses open-ended questions and demonstrates understanding through summary and clarification.
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Listens in an engaged and empathic manner, with verbal and nonverbal facilitation, open-ended questions and demonstration of understanding. Expresses understanding of nuanced communication, and can redirect discussion if needed.
  • Aspirational Behavior: Listens in an engaged and empathic manner, with verbal and nonverbal facilitation, open-ended questions and demonstration of understanding. Expresses understanding of nuanced communication, and can redirect discussion if needed, even in challenging situations.

 ECIS - 2

Effectively conveys written information at an appropriate level for patients, colleagues, and teachers.

  • Does Not Meet: Written communication is unclear or overly wordy.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Written communication is clear and succinct.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark: Written communication is clear, succinct, and appropriate for the audience, whether writing a self-reflection, clinical note, scientific paper, or other.
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Written communication is clear, succinct, and appropriate for the audience. Can produce written work efficiently.
  • Aspirational Behavior: Written communication is clear, succinct, efficient, and audience-appropriate. Expresses independent, novel ideas which may improve the field.

 ECIS - 3

Communicate information clearly to patients, colleagues and teams. Demonstrate closed loop communication skills.

  • Does Not Meet: Fails to contribute information or speaks unclearly. Appears to ignore or disregard communication barriers.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Speaks in a poised and clear manner. Uses closed-loop communication to ensure information sharing was understood by patient. Aware of some communication barriers.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark: Speaks in a poised, clear, efficient manner, attending to the understanding of the recipient with closed-loop communication. Is able to bridge some communication barriers.  
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Speaks in a poised, clear, efficient manner without relying on notes. Shows situational awareness by attending to timing as well as the understanding of the recipient with closed-loop communication. Is able to bridge some communication barriers
  • Aspirational Behavior: Speaks in a poised, clear, efficient manner without relying on notes. Shows situational awareness by attending to timing as well as the understanding of the recipient with closed-loop communication. Is able to bridge communication barriers, even in challenging situations.  

 ECIS - 4

Facilitate challenging health care conversations with patients, families, and colleagues. Elicit and seek to understand the viewpoints of others.

  • Does Not Meet: Unable to demonstrate effective skills in challenging conversations. Does not elicit or incorporate the viewpoints of others.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Demonstrates beginning skills in some challenging communications. Partially seeks to understand other points of view. 
  • Phase 2 Benchmark:Exhibits some effective strategies for challenging communications. Elicits and seeks to understand other points of view.
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Exhibits effective strategies for challenging communications; bridges some barriers of moderate complexity. Elicits and expresses understanding of other points of view. 
  • Aspirational Behavior: Exhibits exemplary strategies for challenging communications in complex situations; avoids potential pitfalls; diffuses hostile conversations. Elicits and expresses understanding of opposing points of view.