Sensitivity of Iranian Medical Students Based on Ethnicity

Competence and sensitivity at intercultural communication are essential for an effective and appropriate communication in the context of health care. The present study sought to survey the levels of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and intercultural sensitivity (IS) of 400 Iranian medical students based on their ethnic backgrounds (i.e. Fars, Turkish, Kurdish, and Lor). The findings of this study indicated that the four ethnic groups had moderate levels of ICC and IS, and that the Lor ethnic group had the lowest mean scores on the four dimensions of ICC (i.e. knowledge, attitude, skills, and awareness). Implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.