Interpreter-mediated doctor-patient interactions: A comparison of online vs inperson training for future interpreters and doctors.

In our multicultural society the need for interpreters in medicine is becoming more and more common. Interpreters are highly trained professionals, however often medical students due not receive any training in how to properly incorporate an interpreter into a medical consultation. This project will build on work that has already been undertaken in the Department of General Practice and the Department of Translation and Interpreting Studies. Since 2017, year 4C medical students have been offered the opportunity to voluntarily undertake inter-professional training with interpreting students. This is run as a case-based role-play. Initially these sessions were performed face to face and this data was published in 2021. Students recorded a high level of increase in their knowledge of the other professional group and they felt that role-playing was a useful educational strategy. Since that time, initially due to COVID-19, the sessions moved online and cases are now run online. It is unclear whether this educational strategy is fit for purpose in an online forum. You will first perform a scoping review of the literature in order to deepen our understanding of educational strategies used in interpreting training for medical students. You will then compare both qualitative and quantitative data collected both before and after 2020 to determine student perceptions of the online inter-professional learning program. Our Research Environment: As a research student in the Department of General Practice you will have access to supervision from international and national leaders in primary care research and education in a supportive and collaborative research environment. Research students are linked with a research group working within one of our areas of research excellence and able to draw upon expertise from across the department to support quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research. You will have opportunity to develop primary care research skills and understanding of ethics through workshops and seminars while gaining exposure to a wide variety of primary care research methods and topics through attendance at a weekly Departmental academic seminar series. Funding is available to support research costs and professional development activities like conference attendance. An active early career research group in the department provides a structure for informal support and learning amongst peers.