A Focused Addiction Curriculum and Its Impact on Student Knowledge, Attitudes, and Confidence in the Treatment of Patients with Substance Use

Background Assessment of attitudes towards addiction in medical students has largely gone unexplored. This study examines the impact of a supplemental substance use disorder curriculum in the psychiatry clerkship on medical student attitudes towards addiction. Methods The curriculum was only administered to students at one clerkship site. Subsequently, medical students were surveyed across all sites regarding their attitudes towards addiction. Results The survey response rate was 37.5% (N = 75/200), with 25 (33%) completing the supplemental addiction curriculum. In bivariate analysis, medical students receiving the curriculum were more likely to express confidence in managing patients with alcohol and opiate use disorders (T = 2.01, p = 0.05) and were more knowledgeable about Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a treatment option available to patients (T = 2.27, p = 0.03). Conclusions A supplemental addiction curriculum can improve medical student confidence in managing substance-using patients as well as improve knowledge of AA.