Current state of undergraduate medical school training in transfusion medicine and its impact on postgraduate trainee knowledge

Abstract

Background: Studies have described poor transfusion medicine (TM) knowledge in postgraduate trainees. The impact of undergraduate medical TM education on postgraduate knowledge is unclear. Methods: Canadian medical schools were surveyed on the number of hours dedicated to TM teaching and topics covered by curricula during 2016–2020. Postgraduate trainees attending Transfusion Camp in 2021 completed a pretest of 20 multiple-choice questions. The survey results and pretest scores were compared to evaluate the association between undergraduate medical TM education and pretest scores. Results: The survey was completed by 16 of 17 Canadian medical schools. The number of hours (h) of TM teaching were <2 h (25%), 3–4 h (25%), and >4 h (50%). Twelve of 19 Transfusion Camp topics were covered in ≥50% of schools. Eleven medical schools provided ethics approvals/waivers to include trainee pretest scores in the analysis (N = 200). The median pretest scores by medical school ranged from 48% to 70%. No association was found between number of TM teaching hours and average pretest scores (p =.60). There was an association between higher postgraduate year level and individual pretest score (p