Twenty-four percent of all medical care contacts are made on the telephone. Practicing pediatricians and emergency physicians often manage children's illnesses by telephone. Studies have shown that there is a need for improved communication between physicians and patients, and it is believed that quality of, and satisfaction with, health care services will improve with increased emphasis on interpersonal communication skills in medical training. The Department of Pediatrics at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center includes interpersonal telephone communication as part of residency training. This article describes the telephone program, which differs from other programs in medical settings in that it focuses on communication process skills only. A conceptual framework around the acronym T.A.L.K. is outlined. Topic sessions in the pediatric emergency department and individual resident review sessions are discussed. The guidelines designed to follow the conceptual framework are presented.