Assessing third year medical students' understanding of code status.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Practice
• Patient Care Decision-Making

Background:

• Code status discussions are crucial for end-of-life care and patient autonomy.
• Medical trainees require adequate preparation to effectively discuss code status with patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate third-year medical students' comprehension of code status.
• To assess the impact of code status understanding on patient care.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to third-year medical students.
• The survey assessed knowledge, experiences, and attitudes regarding code status post-internal medicine clerkship.

Main Results:

• Over 90% relied on on-the-job training for code status knowledge.
• While all students knew the term, only 17% had excellent understanding.
• Few students felt comfortable discussing code status independently, desiring more formal curriculum integration.

Conclusions:

• Third-year medical students' code status understanding is primarily informal and inadequate.
• There's a perceived lack of preparedness, highlighting deficiencies in medical education for resuscitation decisions.
• Improved clinical teaching and structured learning are essential for medical trainees' competence in code status discussions.