We report here on the reliability and validity of the University of Rochester Risk Factor Interview Scale (URRFIS). This scale was developed as an educational measure to characterize and quantify the skills required of physicians and medical students for counseling patients beginning coronary disease risk-factor modification. When used by trained "patient-instructors" to evaluate the interview skills of third-year medical students, we found the URRFIS to have high degrees of interrater reliability (r = .88) and internal consistency (alpha = .76). We also present evidence of content and construct validity. The URRFIS provides a systematic way to teach medical students a set of general counseling skills for health promotion and may increase enthusiasm for the clinical practice of risk-factor modification.