English for Medical Practice: Communicating with Patients and Colleagues

Health practitioners such as doctors, nurses, and therapists who work in international settings need to communicate effectively in English about complex and sensitive issues. This course enhances your competence to interact with patients and with other health practitioners in a clear but polite way that inspires confidence and trust.

Some of the topics that may be covered include:

  • concepts of physical and mental health;
  • various patient encounters and consultations;
  • writing brief patient histories and consultation notes;
  • advising about prevention and exercise;
  • explaining tests, diagnoses, and treatments so that they are easy for patients to understand;
  • conveying unwelcome news;
  • interacting with other health practitioners and institutions;
  • understanding and presenting research that is relevant to medical practice;
  • delivering a presentation on a health topic.

Course information

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Course level
C1 - C2
Date
25.02.2025 - 27.05.2025
Dienstag, 18:15 - 19:45
24 Lessons
Lecturer
Riana Paola, PhD
Kumiko Masai, PhD
Credit points
2 ECTS
Registration deadline
Monday 17.02.2025
Course fee
Students and PhD candidates: CHF 315.00
Members of staff: CHF 579.00
Alumni: CHF 579.00
Alumni FHNW: CHF 579.00
Registration

There will be no class on 11 March and 22 April.

Target group

Participants must already have completed at least two semesters of study in medicine, nursing, or exercise and health sciences.

Course materials

The course materials will be provided by the instructors.

Attendance

Number of absences allowed: 2

Coursework

Participants are expected to:
  • participate actively in class;
  • complete learning assessments;
  • spend 3 hours per course session on preparing and reviewing the lesson and on autonomous learning.

Credit points

To earn the credit points, students must fulfill the attendance requirement, complete the coursework, and pass the required number of assessments. The course is graded on a pass-fail basis.

Important

The courses and services offered by the Language Center are open to the groups of people listed under Eligibility for Admission. Students must also be matriculated: (a) students at the University of Basel should enter their matriculation number on the registration form; (b) students from other Swiss universities or EUCOR universities should email a valid confirmation of their matriculation to info-sprachenzentrum@unibas.ch before registering for a course. Registrations without proof of student status will not be considered.

Placement test

To register for this course, you are required to demonstrate that you are on the corresponding language level in one of the following ways:

a) on the registration form, note the title and semester of a successfully completed course at the University of Basel Language Center from the last two semesters; or
b) submit an officially recognized language certificate from the last two years to info-sprachenzentrum@unibas.ch; or
c) take a placement test and send a PDF of the results to info-sprachenzentrum@unibas.ch.

You are only eligible to register for this course and acquire credit points if your level is not significantly above the course level. In borderline cases, the language head will decide on the basis of an oral examination whether participation with or without credit points is possible.

Replacement date

If the instructor has to cancel one or more course sessions, a make-up session will be held on: Saturday, 17 May 2025, between 10:00 and 16:00.

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