Consensus Development of a Core Content for a Standardized Medical Toxicology Curriculum for Medical Students.
Publication/Presentation Date
1-28-2022
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Currently, no standardized core content in medical toxicology exists for medical students. The goals of this study were to (1) assess the current state and needs of medical toxicology clerkships and (2) develop a consensus-derived list of core topics that should be covered during a medical toxicology clerkship.
METHODS: We assembled a task force established by the American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) of nine experts in medical toxicology or emergency medicine. We developed a needs assessment survey that was sent to all medical student clerkship directors in medical toxicology. Based on their responses, we used a modified Delphi process to develop a consensus of core topics that should be covered during a medical student clerkship.
RESULTS: Nineteen out of 42 (45%) clerkship directors completed the survey; 18 met inclusion criteria. The majority of clerkships were 4 weeks in duration with an average of 15 students/year. The three most common teaching methods used were bedside teaching (n = 17/18), classroom teaching (n = 17/18), and journal club (n = 14/18). All the clerkship directors (n = 18/18) reported they would use a standardized curriculum as well as educational content developed by ACMT. There was overwhelming consensus on the core topics which included, but were not limited to, pharmacology/toxicology; drugs; drugs of abuse; natural products; pharmacological basis of antidote use; toxicologic syndromes; vital sign abnormalities; initial management; supportive and other care; withdrawal syndrome management; industrial, household, and environmental toxins; differential diagnosis by clinical findings; and ABCs-resuscitation.
CONCLUSION: The ACMT task force developed a medical toxicology clerkship core content. The task force also identified a need for shared resources among clerkships.
ISSN
1937-6995
Published In/Presented At
Goldfine, C., Lung, D., Beauchamp, G., O'Connor, A., Stolbach, A., Kao, L., Judge, B., Wax, P., Patwari, R., & Kazzi, Z. (2022). Consensus Development of a Core Content for a Standardized Medical Toxicology Curriculum for Medical Students. Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology, 1–6. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13181-021-00874-z
Disciplines
Emergency Medicine | Medical Education
PubMedID
35089533
Department(s)
Department of Emergency Medicine
Document Type
Article