Evidence-based medicine (EBM) for undergraduate medical students: A six-step, integrative approach

Abstract

Background: Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in practicing evidence-based medicine (EBM) to provide valid and up-to-date information about health problems and procedures for solving these problems. However, studying EBM among other medical education disciplines remains unsatisfactory.

Aim: To design and pilot a basic course on EBM for undergraduate medical students in order to raise the awareness of the Saudi medical education community about this discipline.

Subjects and methods: The developed course targeted undergraduate Year 4 medical students at Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The course was integrated longitudinally into ?Integrated Multisystem Module? of Year 4. Students and faculty perceptions were evaluated for program evaluation purposes. Course design was based on Kern et al. six-step approach for curriculum development.

Results: Students overall perception of this course was positive except for some points related to the time allocated and their training on using evidence databases. Faculty members who participated in implementing the course perceived it positively.

Conclusions: Teaching EBM is recommended and applicable. It is not resource-intensive, and can be conducted through developing and integrating EBM courses in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Students and teachers agree upon the need and importance of teaching such discipline.

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the support of the administration of ISNC in Jeddah, KSA. Special thanks to the 4th year medical students and the faculty members who participated sincerely in conducting this work.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Funding

The publication of this supplement has been made possible with the generous financial support of the Dr Hamza Alkholi Chair for Developing Medical Education in KSA.

Notes on contributors

Hani Atwa, MD, MHPE, PhD, Assistant Professor and Head of Medical Education Unit, Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies in Saudi Arabia. Faculty Member, Medical Education Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University in Egypt.

Adel Abdelaziz, MD, MHPE, PhD, Assistant Professor and Head of Medical Education Unit, College of Medicine, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. Faculty Member, Medical Education Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University in Egypt.