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BACKGROUND: Patient education and giving information is a core skill that improves patient adherence and medical outcomes. PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of a teaching intervention on 3rd-year students' competency in patient education and information giving about asthma medication delivery. METHODS: Students (n=81) completed a 1-hr teaching intervention of didactics followed by role playing of asthma patient education scenarios. Using a standardized patient post intervention, patient education and information-giving skills about spacer/metered dose inhalers were scored overall and on a 12-item checklist and compared to a control group (n=70). Students' knowledge was evaluated using a short answer test. RESULTS: The performance of intervention students on overall patient education, 10 of the 12 checklist items, and the test was significantly higher than controls but did not approach competency. CONCLUSIONS: The 1-hr intervention improved clinical performance and knowledge, but students did not become competent. Future studies should investigate how competence in this and other core patient education skills can be successfully achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]