Training Medical Students in Breast Health

Although medical students receive ample information about cancer screening guidelines, actual hands-on experience providing patient education about breast health and breast self-awareness is lacking. Students at a Florida medical school volunteer at community events to provide breast health education. This study assessed the effectiveness of a training in improving medical students' perceived knowledge, comfort and interest in breast health education.

Students participated in a 60-min training to serve as breast health educators. The comprehensive and interactive training covered topics including breast cancer risk factors and preventative measures, breast self-awareness and screening. Participants completed pretraining and posttraining surveys to assess perceived knowledge and comfort in delivering breast health education and interest in participating in future events using 5-point Likert scales. A descriptive analysis was performed.

A total of 104 students completed the training, with 79% and 66% completing the pretraining and posttraining surveys, respectively. Before the training, 21% of students reported adequate or extensive knowledge, compared to 80% of students after the training. Students' reported comfort level as somewhat or very comfortable was 23% and 74% before and after the training, respectively. Eighty-nine per cent of students reported being somewhat or very interested before the training, compared to 86% after the training.

Medical students' knowledge about breast health is limited. Our study demonstrates that a 60-min training enhances medical student perceived knowledge and comfort in delivering breast health education. The knowledge gained from a breast health education training may serve medical students as future physicians, regardless of specialty.