The teaching of cellular and molecular biology: a survey of program directors in internal medicine

Although there has been an explosion in our knowledge of cellular and molecular biology, it is unclear if medical students entering internal medicine residency programs have been adequately trained in these basic sciences. To ascertain the perceived importance of these subjects to the practice of medicine and to determine if medical schools are properly training their students, a survey was sent to internal medicine program directors.

A survey was sent to 401 internal medicine program directors. Repeat questionnaires were sent if no response was received within 6 months.

Questionnaires were returned by 309 program directors (77%). Only 41% of the program directors felt that their residents had received adequate training in cellular and molecular biology. Directors of university programs were significantly more likely to think that knowledge of these sciences was essential to the practice of medicine and that their residents were inadequately trained than directors from nonuniversity programs. Only 30% of programs offered any formal training in these sciences.

Medical schools need to reevaluate their curricula in order to integrate the basic sciences into all 4 years. Training in these sciences, however, should not stop with graduation. The importance of a knowledge of these sciences should be emphasized at all training programs.