Undergraduate medical students' perceptions regarding stem cells: Is there a need for incorporating a stem cells elective course in the academic curriculum?

Abstract

Stem cell therapy has recently progressed from the preclinical to the early clinical trial arena for a variety of diseases. Moreover, the medical students lack the deep and full understanding of its significance and potential as the promising future cure for diverse diseases worldwide. This study aims at evaluating the knowledge, awareness, and perception of medical students as far as stem cells applications are related in the medical field. A cross-sectional survey was carried out using online questionnaires, which were distributed via e-mail to cover all medical faculties in Jordan. The data show that medical students are supportive of using stem cells and their therapeutic applications, and most of them are willing and enthusiastically want to improve their knowledge about stem cells; however, due to the tight schedule and the lack of an elective course about stem cells in the curriculum, many of them are not ready to undergo further training in regenerative medicine unless it becomes part of the assigned training and part of the learning objectives for medical students. These findings indicated the need to update the medical school curriculum with new hits in medicine and expand the range of courses offered for medical students so they can be up-to-date with the quick advances in different medical disciplines.