Lucknow: In an attempt to hone the communicative skills of would-be-doctors, particularly from the rural areas, the premier Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University (CSMMU) here will offer an orientation course in English, an official said on Friday.

"As a significant percentage of medical students come from rural areas and face difficulties in understanding the lectures that are mainly delivered in English, the varsity will launch the orientation course," Abbas Ali Mahdi, chief proctor of CSMMU, better known as the King George Medical University (KGMU), told reporters here.

"The course will not only enable the rural students to better understand their lectures, mainly delivered in English, but will also assist them overcome professional challenges related to poor English communication skills," he added.

Initially, the course would be of three months' duration, CSMMU officials said. However, after completion, students would be free to continue it if they are not satisfied with their performance or simply want to have more practice lessons for sharpening their communication skills.

The course would commence from the next academic session, the officials said.

Though the course is being launched primarily for freshers, senior students interested in the programme can also enroll themselves to improve their communication skills, they added. IANS