[Communication in medicine: a new and much needed curricular alternative].

BACKGROUND: Medical education must emphasize communication practices mostly for undergraduate medical students.

OBJECTIVES: To introduce an approach for teaching and learning communication in medicine.

METHODS: Review of the literature.

RESULTS: An approach for developing communicational practices for both undergraduate and post graduate students is presented.

CONCLUSION: Medical communication is not taught adequately in modern medical schools and is allotted a brief curricular space. This curricular time must be widened in order to support communication's central role.