This document summarizes two medical studies related to communication skills training for pediatric residents. The first study describes a needs assessment survey of faculty, nurses, and staff who work with pediatric residents and fellows. The survey aimed to evaluate residents' current communication skills and identify areas for improvement. Both residents and non-residents agreed that clear, targeted, active listening skills were most important. Non-residents rated residents' skills as "good" while residents self-rated higher. Open responses identified further areas for improvement. The second study examined parental perspectives on email communication with physicians. Focus groups with parents explored expectations for email correspondence. Parents and faculty somewhat differently weighted characteristics in evaluating medical student responses to simulated parent emails. The