Leaders at the Boston University School of Medicine believe teaching about substance abuse must be incorporated into the training of residents in internal medicine. Substance abuse education of medical students is almost non-existent in medical schools. Physicians need tools and expertise to address one of the most common and expensive health issues.
According to the study authors, medical education has started to tackle the need for substance abuse training for students. Formal curricula has been developed and evaluated, but integration into a busy, often frantic, residency program is a challenge. Many physicians do not address substance abuse conditions because they often feel uncomfortable talking to patients. Often the problem lies with the physician having insufficient knowledge and deficient clinical skills.
The researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine reviewed current physician training about substance abuse. They then described a curriculum that integrates this into internal medicine resident physician training. They describe and link the content to the core competencies mandated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
"The time is right to improve, and require excellence in residency training about unhealthy substance use in internal medicine residency training programs," said lead study author Angela Jackson, M.D., Vice Chair for Education, department of medicine Director, Primary Care Training Program and an associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.
"Because clinical management for substance use is most effective when integrated with medical and other care, education should mirror this approach, integrating curricula on unhealthy substance use into overall residency training."
