Comparative analysis of 1st, 2nd, and 4th year MD students' attitudes toward complementary alternative medicine (CAM)

Abstract

Background: To identify and report the attitudes and beliefs of 1 st, 2nd, and 4th year medical students toward complementary alternative medicine (CAM). Methods: The previously validated and reliability tested CHBQ was administered to medical students attending the University of South Florida School of Medicine. Results: Significant changes were found between both 1st (46.0 ± 7.7) and 4th (37.8 ± 15.7) year students and 2nd (48.3 ± 7.8) and 4th (37.8 ± 15.7) year students. No significant difference was found between 1st (46.0 ± 7.7) and 2nd (48.3 ± 7.8) year students. When comparing scores based on gender, a significant difference was present between males (41.2 ± 12.2) and females (46.1 ± 11.0). Conclusion: CHBQ scores were significantly more positive in both 1st and 2nd year medical students in comparison with 4th year student's scores. These findings suggest that as student exposure to allopathic techniques and procedures increases during the last year of medical school, their attitudes toward CAM decrease. Females were also significantly more likely to have stronger positive attitudes toward CAM than males, though both genders represented an overall positive attitude toward CAM. © 2008 Riccard and Skelton; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.