Cancer control knowledge, attitudes, and perceived skills among medical students.

BACKGROUND

The Cancer Prevention and Control Education (CPACE) program aims to strengthen and coordinate curriculum offerings in cancer prevention and control for medical, graduate nursing and public health students.

METHODS

Students were surveyed on cancer-related knowledge and confidence as part of needs assessment and evaluation efforts. The students completed self-administered surveys (response rate 78%). Descriptive and stratified analysis and ANOVA were conducted.

RESULTS

Knowledge and confidence generally increased with each successive class year, but confidence varied markedly across specific counseling scenarios and by gender. While the students overall reported greater confidence in performing an examination than in interpreting the results, confidence varied significantly across specific types of examinations.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding of basic information about common cancers was disappointing. Confidence to perform and interpret examinations could be higher, especially for opposite-gender screening examinations. Implications of the findings for CPACE curriculum development are discussed.