Interdisciplinary evidence-based tumor board simulation training in surgical medical education

Evidence-based medicine (EBM), precision medicine and interdisciplinarity are becoming increasingly important in medical education. The purposeful connection between EBM and interdisciplinary work is given in the context of a tumor board, since therapy decisions are discussed here in an interdisciplinary team based on current evidence-based guidelines. To date, there has been little focus on either topic. Therefore, we aimed to assess the existing knowledge and offered a practical exercise in terms of a tumor board simulation training for medical students during their surgical study semester.

First, a knowledge test was performed in 4th year medical students (n = 149) addressing the topic of EBM following an evaluation questionnaire. Subsequently, a structured one hour- lecture was held. The students were divided into groups of up to ten and assigned with specific professional roles of tumor board members. Thereafter, students participated in a live simulated tumor board. At the end the same knowledge test and evaluation questionnaire were delivered (n = 163). Study was conducted at Heidelberg Medical University between 2023 and 2024.

A significant increase in knowledge was seen before versus after the course only in the primarily better students (p < 0.0001). Almost no difference in knowledge test was seen before and after the course pertaining all students (p = 0.205). Evaluation questionnaire displayed that 45% (n = 66) of the students had not dealt with the topic of EBM before the course. 98% (n = 146) of the students considered that interdisciplinary work in medical profession is very important.

Including EBM and precision medicine in a practical way into the medical curriculum is necessarily needed. As only the best students seemed to benefit significantly, a more sustainable approach might be the implementation of a longitudinal precision medicine curriculum.