Evidence-based medicine for medical students: introducing EBM in a primary care rotation

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) seeks to improve patients' lives by applying the best available evidence to decisions affecting health outcomes. Since medical students often do not appreciate the value of an evidence-based approach to medicine when they enter third-year clinical training, a curriculum was developed introducing third-year students to the practice of EBM during a primary care clinical rotation.

Twenty-seven students over 4 rotations participated in the series of 6 hour-long seminars, and 8 items from a 27-item questionnaire were used to measure the impact on students' self reported understanding and use of EBM.

Responses to questionnaires given before and after completion of the curriculum documented improved self-reported understanding of EBM and improved self-reported comfort with critical appraisal.

A seminar series introducing EBM in a primary care rotation improved students' familiarity with and receptivity to use of EBM.