Evidence-Based Medicine Course for Pre-Clinical Medical Students and Evaluation of Their Self-Efficacy Perceptions

Abstract

Objective This study aims to share the results of the two-year implementation phase of the Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) course, which was restructured and updated at Manisa Celal Bayar University Faculty of Medicine (MCBUFoM). Materials and Method All (N = 514) students enrolled in Year-1 at MCBUFoM in the academic years of 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 were included in this cross-sectional study. Course goal, competencies and learning objectives were determined and sessions were developed accordingly. This restructured 12-hour course was given in six sessions, four of which were theoretical and two were practical. Lectures, practical exercises using mobile devices in small groups and case-based problem-solving activities were used as instruction methods. Students’ self-efficacy perceptions and their feedback regarding the EBM course were collected via two separate online questionnaire forms containing structured and semi-structured items. The responses of the students who attended the EBM course sessions were analyzed and reported. ResultsA total of 195 Year-1 students (37.7%) responded to the survey questionnaires. One hundred seventy-two of these students (88.2%) reported that they attended EBM course sessions. Based on their participation, 68 (39.5%) students have not attended any practical sessions, and 104 (60.5%) students have attended at least one practical session. Ninety-one (65.0%) of the students stated that the time allocated to the course was sufficient. It was revealed that the mean total score of students' self-efficacy perceptions regarding the learning objectives of the EBM course was 3.41 ± 0.85, and the highest mean value was found in application dimension (3.49 ± 1.06). Students' self-efficacy perceptions were found to be significantly higher for the students who attended the practical sessions. Students’ level of satisfaction regarding the course was high for all evaluation domains. “The scope of the course” was most frequently (n = 86, 56.2%) reported response as the “most beneficial aspect of the course” by the students. ConclusionsThe findings obtained in this study were found to be compatible with the data reported in the literature. Starting the EBM training early, and continuing them throughout the medical education will increase the permanence of the knowledge acquired. Utilizing case-based clinical problems and mobile devices will have a significant positive impact on students' perception of self-efficacy concerning EBM.