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Abstract:
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Due to curriculum constraints in undergraduate medical education, it may be most practical to incorporate biostatistics training in existing evidence-based medicine modules or in the students' own scholarly activities. In this talk, I present our experiences at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, one of the largest medical schools in the US (average class size = 276). Medical students in the summer between their 1st and 2nd years may opt to undertake mentored research for 9 weeks. As part of the program, they also receive training on various research-related topics, including data management and data analysis. Between 2012 and 2016, the numbers of applicants and participants have doubled (from 55 to 145 and from 36 to 79, respectively), and the program is consistently rated very highly (average >3 in all 4 years, on a 0-4 scale). The two data/statistics training sessions are also rated very positively. According to student evaluations, the immediacy of the link between biostatistics and their own research has been extremely useful, aiding in the understanding of concepts, motivating the application of methods, and heightening clarity of interpretation.
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