Is the Devil in the Second Year? Student Perceptions of Evidence-Based Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Background Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the use of scientific reasoning and current evidence to make clinical decisions. Today, most medical schools teach EBM as part of a preclinical block. However, schools have begun approaching EBM longitudinally. Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU) utilizes a longitudinal course in EBM from the first through fourth years. This raises the question - does this novel, longitudinal curriculum promote a culture of clinical inquiry that is also positively perceived by students? Objectives and Methods Authors hypothesized that increased exposure to the EBM curriculum correlated with improved student perception of EBM value and effectiveness from first year (M1) through fourth year (M4). A cross-sectional survey design was used with the study population of M1, second (M2), third (M3), and M4 students. Participants were contacted to complete a brief online survey. Surveys were distributed between July - September 2017, with 65 respondents. Differences were measured between classes. Results Significant between-class differences were observed in perceived emphasis in EBM, confidence in developing questions, motivation to apply EBM, usage of skills, types of sources utilized, and most important research article sections. Although perceived EBM effectiveness increased over time, there was a prominent decrease in the M2 year. Conclusions Differences in EBM perception exist between classes. EBM effectiveness generally improved from preclinical to clinical years with a prominent dip in M2 year. These results may help shape the future CMSRU curriculum. Additional study with a larger population is required to draw definitive conclusions