Epidemiology course for medical students focuses on proposal writing

Teaching epidemiology to medical students is often seen as a difficult, if not impossible, task. After experimenting with several other approaches, faculty at the West Virginia University School of Medicine have developed a course centered around the production of a research proposal using National Institutes of Health criteria and format. The course content, while comprehensive, emphasizes the clinical uses of epidemiology. Lectures are combined with self-study and individualized teaching to assist the students as they explore their chosen topic. This problem-solving approach to teaching and learning epidemiology in medical school has proved both effective and more acceptable to students, as evidenced by the quality of their research proposals, National Medical Examination Board Scores, student evaluations, and improved faculty-student interaction.