The Significance of Physical Activity Education: A Survey of Medical Students
Zachary A Panton1, Shannon Smith2, Michael Duggan3
1Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
Introduction:
Less than 20% of US adults meet physical activity (PA) recommendations, yet few physicians provide consistent PA counseling. There is limited research on the state of education of PA counseling in medical school curricula. The purpose of this study was to analyze medical students' perspectives on the current state and perceived quality of PA education in medical school.
Methods:
An online survey was administered to the students of nine United States medical schools in January 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze results.
Results:
Of 5500 invited students, 1182 (21.5%) responded. Only 8% of students received any formal training on PA counseling for patient or self-use throughout their medical education. The majority (64% and 85%, respectively) of respondents felt that both learning more about the benefits of PA and gaining more practical skills in counseling on PA should be requirements to graduate. Students across all medical school years agreed that formal training on patient counseling for PA should be taught more in-depth.
Conclusions:
Medical students believe that PA and exercise physiology should comprise more of medical education curricula. Such training may equip students with the tools they believe they need to adequately treat patients effectively throughout their careers.
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