Tobacco world: evaluation of a tobacco cessation training program for third-year medical students

Abstract

Background: Training in tobacco cessation counseling is deficient in medical schools. Tobacco World, a tobacco cessation training program, was implemented in a family medicine clerkship and subsequently evaluated.

Method: In the pilot year, students were assigned to either standard clerkship training (comparison group) or a group that also received Tobacco World training (intervention group). All students received intervention training in the second year of the study. A 35-item questionnaire was administered before and after the four-week clerkship to assess knowledge, attitude, and confidence regarding tobacco cessation counseling.

Results: Intervention training was highly rated. Students in the intervention group from both years demonstrated significant improvements in some key measurements of knowledge, attitude, confidence, and increased frequency of tobacco cessation counseling.

Conclusions: This smoking cessation training program addresses an underrepresented area of medical school education and has the potential to translate into improved smoking cessation counseling by future physicians.