The art of effectively teaching clinical interviewing skills using role-playing: a primer.

Time pressure on trainees and supervisors alike places a premium on efficiency in training students to master clinical skills. Through role-playing, a supervisor can create multiple iterations of the desired skill until competence is obtained. The skill training can be advanced in intensity and complexity until the trainer and trainee are confident that the interviewing skill is accessible on demand and that the trainee is comfortable with its use. This article focuses on practical methods of creating believable roles for role-playing and how to use them to teach specific interviewing skills strategically.