Attitudes of medical school faculty and students toward acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Attitudes of faculty and students will influence the success of educational programs to address acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In 1988-89, 170 medical school faculty and 227 students completed needs assessment questionnaires at the University of Louisville, and the results were compared to assess the respondents' attitudes about AIDS. Both the faculty and the students were found to be fearful of infection, had strong negative attitudes toward AIDS patients, and had low levels of confidence in the current knowledge about AIDS. Both cognitive and affective training strategies are recommended to help learners distinguish unwarranted from warranted fears of infection and to increase their empathy for patients with AIDS.