Integrating an Evidence Based Medicine Module Presentation into the Ob-Gyn Clerkship

Introduction: During the preclinical curriculum, students are introduced to EBM principles, however structured application to clinical medicine varies throughout clinical experiences. Application of EBM in a clinical educational environment affords students opportunities to practice required skills.

Methods: Students selected a patient case and formulated a question related to diagnosis ortreatment using the PICO framework. Students selected research publications related to the patient case, critically appraised their validity and generalization, and developed a comprehensive presentation involving a case summary and related EBM topics, which were evaluated by a faculty member using a rubric developed for the project. To assess the effectiveness of the curriculum addition, students were administered a survey to rate their knowledge of EBM before and after completing the EBM project.

Results: One full academic year of clerkship cohorts (n=103) were surveyed. Regardless of EBM knowledge before the project, comparison of self-reported knowledge increased to above-average level of understanding as a result of the project (mean=4.0, SD=1.07, CI=3.75-4.19). Furthermore, student presentation percentage scores using the rubric showed an above average understanding of EBM (mean=96, SD=4.40).

Conclusion: It is important for students to integrate EBM into their practice early in their training. This curriculum addition was effective and could be utilized in other clerkships.