A study on the occupational language needs of final year undergraduate medical students in Thailand

In the field of medical science, a significant majority of medical journals and technological advancements are published and available in English. This study aimed to identify the English language needs of medical students during their time in medical school and in real-life workplace communication situations, as well as to design a suitable course. The study employed a mixed methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research designs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants who provided valuable insights into the medical profession and informed the questionnaire items. A purposely selected sample of 30 medical students participated in the study, with data collected through the questionnaire. The results indicated that sixth-year medical students find English grammar (mean score 3.27), vocabulary for communication (mean score 3.13), oral presentation skills (mean score 3.87), English accents (mean score 3.8), and writing English medical content (mean score 3.2) challenging. The findings also highlighted the importance of writing research articles for specialised study and delivering presentations at international conferences for completing specialised education and future careers. However, the overall high scores in every area suggest an immediate need for improvement across all skill areas. Additionally, the study revealed a mismatch between the English instruction provided by medical schools and the actual English-language communication demands in healthcare settings.