Outline

Overview

Interpersonal skills are fundamental to delivering high-quality patient care. This unit introduces students to the core principles of effective communication, emotional intelligence, and professionalism within healthcare. Students will explore the roles and responsibilities of diverse healthcare professionals and develop skills that foster trust, empathy, and rapport with patients and peers. This unit combines interactive workshops, peer collaboration, and reflective exercises to prepare students to work in diverse communities, particularly with people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people with varying levels of health literacy. Assessments include role-playing, community interviews, and simulated clinical assessments to ensure students can apply their learning effectively. By the end of the semester, students will have a solid foundation in interpersonal and professional skills, ready to progress further into the complexities of healthcare communication and practice in a diverse community.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Department of Medical Sciences
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	BBHE1001
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Sandra O'Toole, sandra.otoole@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Oral exam	Final Exam - Oral Assessment Students will be provided with a clinical scenario describing a disease and treatment plan 5 minutes reading time 10 minute oral exam presenting their plan and communication strategies	0%	Formal exam period	15 minutes (oral)	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Stress management plan You will select an evidence-based strategy for managing stress and describe how you will put this into practice	0%	Week 02 Due date: 08 Mar 2026 at 23:00 Closing date: 08 Mar 2026	2 minute instagram type video	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Team contract Students will develop a brief team contract to guide how their group will work together on the assignment setting clear expectations for roles, timelines, communication, meeting arrangements, decision-making, and standards for participation	0%	Week 04 Due date: 22 Mar 2026 at 23:00 Closing date: 22 Mar 2026	1000 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Case study presentation Groups will be given a patient case study featuring a communication challenge and produce a video 2 people will role play (patient and clinician) 2 people to present case and management plan based on provided guideline 1 person to summarise.	0%	Week 09 Due date: 03 May 2026 at 23:00 Closing date: 03 May 2026	10 minute video	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Final group report Describe and demonstrate how they worked as a team to present case and management plan; how did they implement their own self-care plan to complete this assessment; relate the key elements of professionalism with how they worked as a team	0%	Week 11 Due date: 17 May 2026 at 23:00 Closing date: 17 May 2026	2000	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ? = early feedback task ?

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

Assessment summary

Assessments in this unit are designed to scaffold learning, providing valuable feedback in earlier tasks to support completion of later tasks.

Stress managment plan: using an evidence-based strategy for stress management, you will described how you will put this into practice in a 2-minute instagram style video. This is a formative task, and does not contribute toward the overall unit grade.
Team contract: as a group you will create a brief team contract to guide how you will work together on the assessment, setting clear expectations for roles, timelines, communication, meeting arrangements, decision-making and standards for participation. This is a summative assessment and contributes to the final unit grade.
Case study presentation: working in a group you will be given a patient case study featuring a communictaion challenge and produce a 10-minute video in response. Two people will role play (patient and clinician), two people will present the case and managment plan using the provided guidelines. One person will summarise. This is a summative assessment and contributes to the final unit grade.
Final group report: 2000-word group report to describe and demonstrate how they worked as a team to present case and management plan; how did they implement their own self-care plan to complete this assessment; relate the key elements of professionalism with how they worked as a team. This is a summative assessment and contributes to the final unit grade.
Final Exam - Oral Assessment: This will be in the style of a viva voce to assess your communciation skills. Students will be provided with a clinical scenario decsribing a disease and treatment plan. 5 minutes reading time. 10 minutes presenting their plan and communication strategies. This is a summative assessment and contributes to the final unit grade.

The summative assessments in this unit are: i) the team contract, ii) the case study presentation, iii) the final group report, and (iv) the final exam. All summative assessments in this unit are pass/fail. To pass this unit, students are required to i) pass the final exam, and (ii) fail no more than one of the other summative assessments. Students who fail any summative assessment will be given one opportunity for remediation and re-assessment for that specific assessment.

Detailed instructions for each task can be found on Canvas and discussed further within tutorial classes.

Assessment criteria

Assessment grading (Grade-only unit):  

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2021 (Schedule 1).

Result name	Mark range	Description
Satisfied requirements	50 - 100	The learning outcomes of the unit of study have been met to a satisfactory standard.
Failed requirements	0 - 49	The learning outcomes of the unit of study have not been met to a satisfactory standard.

This unit contains the following paired assessment (s):

BBHE1001/1002 - Oral exam (week 13)

Marking of paired assessment(s) will be as follows: 

Assessment of learning outcomes from one unit will be awarded only to that unit using an appropriate rubric. 

Assessment of learning outcomes in both units will be awarded to both units using an appropriate rubric.

Assessment of learning outcomes in grade-only units (i.e. BBHE1002), will be assessed against meeting the required competency level using an appropriate rubric.   

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late penalties (grade-only unit): On-time submission of assessments and meeting deadlines is a key aspect of professionalism in the healthcare sector. Assessments submitted late without permission (see Special Considerations: http://sydney.edu.au/students/special-consideration-and-arrangements.html) will incur a late penalty applied to the marking of your assessment. The late penalty will be applied within the ‘professionalism’ category of the rubric, where professionalism is graded ‘highly satisfactory’, ‘satisfactory’, ‘poor’ or ‘unsatisfactory’, or ‘automatic fail’. Assessments submitted 0-5 calendar days late will automatically incur a ‘poor’ grade for professionalism, and assessments submitted 6-10 calendar days late will incur an ‘unsatisfactory’ grade. Performance within the other assessment categories will determine if the late penalties for 0-5 and 6-10 days late result in an overall fail grade for the assessment. If the assessment is more than 10 calendar days late, it will incur the ‘automatic fail’ grade for professionalism, and the overall assessment will be failed.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to BBHE 1002 professional skills and communication	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 01	Activity 1: team bridge building challenge Activity 2: orientation to Westmead - the Amazing race challenge Activity 3: Intro to Early Feedback Task	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 02	Setting yourself up for success	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	Activity 1: Study skills and time management Activity 2: Sleep (30 mins); Exercise (30 mins); Nutrition (30 mins). Learn and practice techniques for active listening Activity 3: Time to work on your Team Project Contract	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 03	Self-care and resilience	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Resilience and emotional regulation	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 04	Empathy	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Building empathy - breast cancer	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 05	How to communicate effectively	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	How do you have an effective conversation with peers How to have a difficult conversation; how to recognise and respond to emotion PRACTICE! Listening, reflecting, mirroring	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 06	Talking with people	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Talking to patients - Can you talk Louis down? Clinical scenario practice – explain to others about their condition and management plan Group assessment work (talk about expectations)	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 07	Effective written communication	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Effective written communication	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 08	Scientific communication and health promotion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	MDT - osteoarthritis Health promotion - prepare a scientific poster for a public health policy - present to peers Group presentation work	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 09	Difficult conversations - talking about vaccination	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Vaccination communication workshop	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 10	The therapeutic relationship	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Challenging conversations with patients	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 11	Disability part 1	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	Disability - Visual impairment	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 12	Disability part 2	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Intellectual disability	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 13	Bringing it all together - set yourself up for exam success	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Exam preparation - viva practice	Workshop (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Participation: Each week this unit consists of two face-to-face classes, a 1hr tutorial and a 2-3hr workshop/practical.

Participation in these face-to-face classes is compulsory, and a requirement to successfully complete the UoS. Students are expected to attend a minimum of 80% of timetabled activities as defined in the unit of study outline.

Before attending the tutorial and workshop/practical class, students should watch the accompanying lecturettes and complete any accompanying formative quizzes.

The University of Sydney Coursework Policy 2021 states: 
68 (2) A student enrolled in a unit of study must comply with the requirements set out in the faculty resolutions, award course resolutions or unit of study outline about undertaking the unit of study, including on matters such as: (a) attendance at and participation in lectures, seminars and tutorials; and (b) participation in practical work.

68 (3) A program director may specify the circumstances under which a student who does not satisfy attendance and participation requirements may be deemed not to have completed a unit of study or award course.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Understand professional conduct and how it relates to teamwork and patient outcomes in healthcare.
LO2. Understand strategies for selfcare and building resilience, recognising how it relates to being an effective health professional.
LO3. Describe how fostering trust, empathy and rapport, is important for effective communication.
LO4. Describe how appropriate oral and written communication skills are important for effective communication.
LO5. Describe how being aware of the diverse community in which we live and work is important for effective communication.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This is the first time this unit has been offered.

Additional information

Passing the unit (Grade-only unit):

To pass this unit of study, students must: 

Pass all hurdle tasks 
Fail no more than one of the remaining non-hurdle summative assessments.

Remediation and reassessment (Grade-only unit):

Students who fail a hurdle task, or their second non-hurdle summative assessment, will be given one opportunity for remediation and reassessment for that specific task. 

This includes receiving detailed feedback on the original failed assessment and additional teaching support comprising either: (i) an extra 1 hr tutorial or (ii) a 15-minute meeting with a member of academic staff. This opportunity will be provided within 10 days of the outcome of the original assessment being released, and whilst it will assess the same learning objectives, it could take a different format.

The one remediation and reassessment opportunity is in addition to any reassessment due to a successful application for special consideration. If a student is unable to attend the scheduled remediation reassessment opportunity, they may apply for special considerations as per the University of Sydney Assessment Procedures 2024.

Formative assessment:

Definition: Assessments that do not contribute to passing the unit or the final grade/mark

Purpose: To guide instruction, provide timely feedback, and help students improve.

Timing: Ongoing, frequent, during the learning process.

Stakes: Low-stakes or ungraded.

Feedback: Detailed, developmental, and immediate.

Examples: weekly practice quizzes, in-class questions and worksheets.

Summative assessment:

Definition: Assessments that do contribute to passing the unit or the final grade/mark

Purpose: To evaluate overall learning, measure achievement, and determine competency.

Timing: Mid-semester test (e.g. week 7/8), towards the end of the unit, exam period.

Stakes: High-stakes, graded, affects advancement.

Feedback: Final, evaluative (e.g., score, grade).

Examples: In semester tests, interactive oral exam, written exam.

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

BBHE1002: Interpersonal and Professional Skills

Semester 1, 2026 [Normal day] - Westmead, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links