Abstract
PurposeMedically-focused journal clubs have been used as an educational tool for over 100 years, with research indicating that they improve knowledge, reading behaviour, and critical appraisal skills. However, it is unknown how widespread they are in Australian medical schools, nor the opinions of medical education leaders as to their value.MethodsA nationwide cross-sectional study was performed among academic leaders from every Australian medical school. Individuals were asked to complete a survey detailing their attitudes towards journal clubs using single- or multiple-answer questions, Likert scales, and ranked data. They were asked whether students at their institutions were able to partake in journal clubs, and if so, provided details on their implementation.ResultsAt least 1 response was collected from 18 of 19 Australian medical schools. The response rate was 40.8% (60 of 147), and 36 responses (60.0%) were from heads of clinical schools. Respondents from 15 of 18 institutions (83.3%) stated that their institution had a journal club. Of these, 23 (65.7%) were metropolitan institutions and 12 (34.3%) were rural institutions. Eighteen (51.4%) journal clubs were clinician-led, 13 (37.1%) were run through specific hospital departments, and 23 (65.7%) occurred during clinical years. Most respondents (20 [57.1%]) stated that the primary aim of the journal club was to develop critical appraisal skills.ConclusionJournal clubs are a highly regarded educational tool in the armoury of medical school educators, with significant heterogeneity in their structure, geographic prevalence, and intended purpose. Further studies of their efficacy in teaching evidence-based medicine is warranted.
Highlights
IntroductionHad implications for job security, and admission to specialty colleges effectively relies on research production
Journal clubs were highly regarded for the education of medical students and were thought to be effective at teaching research skills
Our study demonstrated that journal clubs are popular in Australian medical schools, with over 4 in 5 of the surveyed universities implementing a journal club for the teaching of their students
Summary
Had implications for job security, and admission to specialty colleges effectively relies on research production. This trend has not gone unnoticed amongst medical teaching institutions, with many courses including a research component in their already overloaded curriculum. The ability to critically appraise research articles in an effective manner has never been more important. It is this evolution of medicine that makes journal clubs, like bedside tutorials and human dissection, one of the few medical education tools to withstand the test of time.
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