Clinical communication at KCL is a core component of the curriculum, focusing on equipping students with essential, patient-centred consultation skills through experiential learning and simulated patients. Teaching covers interpersonal skills, cultural competency, and values-based practice across all stages of the medical degree
What is cultural competency? Why is it important in my studies, and how can I put it into practice? This multi-and-cross-disciplinary level 5 module will provide students from across the College with the tools with which to answer these key questions. It aims to develop students' critical awareness of the core issues surrounding cultural competency, such as power, equality, positionality, intersectionality and social justice and offer them the conceptual and practical 'know-how', with which to implement this awareness in their academic, professional, and everyday lives, and through this to effect positive change. The module will equip students with skills that are essential for all professionals, and will enable them to be effective global citizens.
In a globalised world, fostering cultural competency is essential for success in any profession and trade that values the diversity of people and their cultures. This module will draw on evidence-informed techniques to develop your cultural competency, focusing on your knowledge and understanding, your awareness and sensitivity, your skills and interaction, and your leadership and management capability. You will be introduced to a range of disciplinary methods that are ideally placed to help you develop specific domains of cultural competency. The teaching will be delivered by a wide range of methodological experts from across the College. Learning will be dynamic and interactive, and focused on how to make positive changes at the interpersonal, team, institutional/structural and systemic levels.
This module has been developed through an exciting international collaboration with seven institutions across the UK and Europe. Teaching content has been designed by international experts in various fields of cultural competence, linguistics and translation/interpreting. Each week, teaching content will tackle a theoretical and practical aspect of multilingualism and multiculturalism, in the context of topical issues, such as generative AI, climate change, democracy, global health, equality and diversity, and civic responsibilities. Having a second or third language can be an advantage, but the module does not require students to be multilingual.