Iranian Journal of Medical Education

Introduction: Interpersonal skills are among the basic skills in social life and are essential for students due to the numerous challenges facing them. The aim of this study was to compare the dimensions of students’ interpersonal skills in Tabriz University and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

Methods: This descriptive study was performed on 770 students of Tabriz University and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences who were selected by simple random sampling. Data collection tool was Fetro’s interpersonal skills assessment questionnaire. It has 65 five-point Likert scale items and measures four domains of development and maintenance of communication, communication skills, conflict resolution and empathy. Data were analyzed using MANOVA.

Results: A number of 750 questionnaires were completed and analyzed by 423 students of Tabriz University and 327 students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The students of two universities had a significant difference in interpersonal skills (p<0.05). The mean scores of Tabriz University students in development and maintenance of communication (p=0.023) and empathy (p=0.020) were higher than those of students at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Also, a significant difference was found in the mean scores of interpersonal skills between male and female students (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was found in terms of education (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Results showed that the interpersonal skills of Tabriz University students are more favorable than students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. It is therefore recommended that interpersonal skills should be further enhanced in medical universities.