Table 1 Questionnaire for patients’ assessment of the different items of professionalism and communication skills of the medical graduates

1. Telling you every thing; being truthful, upfront and frank; not keeping things from you that you should know.

2. Greeting you warmly; calling you by the name you prefer; being friendly, never crabby or rude.

3. Treating you like you’re on the same level; never “talking down” to you or treating you like a child.

4. Letting you tell your story ; listening carefully; asking thoughtful questions; not interrupting you while you’re talking.

5. Showing interest in you as a person; not acting bored or ignoring what you have to say.

6. Warning you during the physical exam about what he/she is going to do and why; telling you what he/ she finds.

7. Discussing options with you; asking your opinion; offering choices and letting help decide what to do; asking what you think before telling you what to do.

8. Encourage you to ask questions; answering them clearly; never avoiding your questions or lecturing you.

9. Explaining what you need to know about your problems, how and why they occurred, and what to expect next.

10. Using words you can understand when explaining any technical medical terms in plain language.