Table 2.

Learning Objectives for Behavior Change Counseling Curriculum

▪ Third year medical students will be able to:

▪ Differentiate between open-ended and closed-ended questions

▪ Correctly identify a patient’s readiness to change behavior

▪ Correctly distinguish the appropriate counseling strategy for a patient in each of Prochaska’s Six Stages of Change

▪ Define and apply the five key principles of MI and the OARS (open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries) techniques

▪ Demonstrate reflective listening techniques, using both simple and strategic reflections, and elicit “change talk” in a patient needing to undergo a health behavior change

▪ Utilize the seven steps of Medical MI in a patient interview, including setting an agenda, measuring willingness and confidence to change behavior, and providing individualized feedback

▪ Rate behavior change counseling as an important and effective medical intervention by physicians