We are impressed by Dr Jeffery and colleagues' innovative styles of medical education in the context of communication skills, self-awareness and ethical thought1. However, it is difficult to be convinced that short theatre workshop alone would affect the same results across an entire cohort of medical students for reasons we will detail here. The module does however offer a refreshing method in critically engaging students in the complexities of the patient-doctor relationship.

A primary limitation in this study is that selection of the SSC drama module was voluntary. The students who have chosen this drama module are therefore not likely to be reflective of the medical student population in general. In addition the numbers participating are small, with only nine students across two years of enrolment, two students of which had expressed the option to be "a mistake" or their "last option". This highlights underlying obstacles to participation which have not been explored in the context of this article; the ability to engage medical students in what many regard as "soft skills" in comparison to other areas of their curriculum. Furthermore the article details that within this arguably atypical group, the primary concern on the first day was that of assessment criteria. This is reflective of the pervading culture of medical schools which is often focused towards passing exams. Therefore in this case formal assessment may guide input and direct student learning to that which students feel will impress the examiner. It is therefore very difficult to make objective assessments on what the students gained without subjective bias of the module convenors.

We feel this SSC module is a step forward in addressing this deficit within medical education and in a new and enjoyable way. It starts a process of critical thinking amongst the students which if, as the author recognises, can become embedded in clinical practice, will benefit both patients and doctors alike. We believe the focus on increasing self- awareness in this module should form part of the mandatory curriculum. Medical schools as an institution thus need to adopt anthropological approaches, whereby they cultivate young doctors who consider social relationships, cultural norms and the micro and macro politics that influence health and well-being and the experience of illness.

1.Jeffrey E, Goddard J and Jeffrey D (2012). Performance and palliative care: a drama module for medical students [in] Medical Humanities, (38), pp110-114.

Conflict of Interest:

None declared