Implementing an antimicrobial stewardship medical student elective to impart good antibiotic prescribing habits early in medical training

• Published in: Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE 2023, Vol.3 (1), p.e239-e239, Article e239
• Main Authors: Lam, Philip W, Lo, Jennifer, Leis, Jerome A, Elligsen, Marion
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Audits; Didacticism; Feedback; Health sciences; Infections; Infectious diseases; Learning; Letter to the Editor; Medical education; Medical students
• ISSN: 2732-494X; 2732-494X
• DOI: 10.1017/ash.2023.522

Antibiotic prescribing behavior is a complex process influenced by socio-demographic, knowledge, attitudinal, patient, and system factors.1 Formation of prescribing habits begins in medical school and is shaped through interactions with supervising physicians, patients, and the healthcare system.2 These unique experiences contribute to variability in antibiotic prescribing observed across health systems.3,4 Introduction of antimicrobial stewardship principles early within medical education has the potential to establish appropriate prescribing practice patterns. Institutional research ethics review was not required because the project was deemed quality improvement and not human subject research. Since 2012, 21 medical students have completed this rotation (0–3 per year). Through the administration of a pre-post-survey, the authors reported improvement in student confidence and knowledge in antimicrobial prescribing.10 Our medical elective focused on maximizing the experiential audit-and-feedback component, with each case serving as a platform to discuss approaches to antibiotic therapy, antimicrobial spectrum, and general stewardship principles.