Stroke Education in the Undergraduate Curriculum of US Medical Schools

Abstract

Examination of the AAMC CurrMIT database, individual medical school web sites, results from the AAMC Medical School Graduation Questionnaire, and published literature produced little systematic information about how and where stroke education is provided in undergraduate medical school curricula. In 31 US medical schools that met criteria for inclusion in this review, cerebrovascular disease is directly addressed in an average of 4.8 sessions during the preclerkship curriculum. Fewer than 20% of these schools report that they address stroke prevention. Less data are available about the amount and content of stroke education in required clerkships. Approximately 80% of all US medical schools require a neurology clerkship or a clerkship in which neurologists participate; about half are scheduled in Year 3. Recommendations include defining a core competency in stroke for all graduating medical students, developing new approaches to enhance undergraduate training in stroke, and systematically gathering data about stroke education and its outcomes from multiple sources.