Efficacy of Peer-to-Peer Education for Emergency Medicine Resident Financial Literacy: Curriculum Development Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Early career physicians are under enormous stress from rigorous academic demands and financial insecurity due to increasingly large loan burdens and stagnant income. There are no institutionally required training programs to educate professionals on financial pitfalls or strategies for overcoming these burdens. Fiscal ignorance leaves them in a vulnerable position to be taken advantage of often, at great personal cost. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional, convenience sample of emergency medicine residents at a single center, we evaluated the benefit of a six-month curriculum on financial education. Focusing on topics that were most pertinent early in medical careers, we assessed the utility of a six-lecture series totaling three hours of education on fundamental financial literacy. Lectures were given by a single educator with no formal financial background in the following areas: general principles, student loans, retirement accounts, basic taxes, real estate, and insurance. RESULTS: Using pre-test and post-test information on 55 residents, financial literacy, as assessed by a 24-question multiple-choice survey, increased from 50% to 62% (p=