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Writing courses in American medical schools
Journal of Medical Education
|February 1, 1983
Summary
Few U.S. medical schools offer medical writing courses, despite identified needs. Obstacles like time and faculty can be overcome with curriculum integration and writing specialist collaboration.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Scientific Communication
Background:
- Effective medical writing is crucial for disseminating research and clinical knowledge.
- There is a recognized need for improved medical writing skills among healthcare professionals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the current landscape of medical writing instruction in U.S. medical schools.
- To identify barriers to implementing comprehensive medical writing curricula.
Main Methods:
- A survey was distributed to U.S. medical schools to gather data on writing course offerings.
- Response data from 101 medical schools were analyzed to determine the extent and nature of instruction.
Main Results:
- Only 15 out of 101 surveyed medical schools reported offering any form of writing instruction.
- Of these, seven offered brief seminars, while eight provided full-term courses.
- Schools not offering courses cited lack of time, student interest, and qualified faculty as primary reasons.
Conclusions:
- Medical writing education is significantly underdeveloped in U.S. medical schools.
- Overcoming implementation barriers requires curriculum integration and collaboration with campus writing specialists.