Perception about the Role of Biostatistics in Medical Curriculum: A Cross-Sectional Study among Medical Students
Vinoth Gnana Chellaiyan,
Rajeshkannan Sivakumar,
Buvnesh Kumar M,
Aravind Manoharan,
Jasmine Maruthappapandian,
Suruliraman SM
Affiliations
Vinoth Gnana Chellaiyan
Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, India
Rajeshkannan Sivakumar
Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, India
Buvnesh Kumar M
Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, India
Aravind Manoharan
Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, India
Jasmine Maruthappapandian
Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, India
Suruliraman SM
Professor and Head, Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, India
Introduction: A good understanding of biostatistics can improve clinical thinking, decision-making, evaluations, and medical research. Undoubtedly, medical professionals are becoming aware of the importance of learning and applying biostatistical methods in their research. This study was done to assess the knowledge and attitude among medical graduates regarding the role and application of biostatistics in medical science. Method: The study was a cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital among 120 medical students pursuing MBBS third and final year. Systematic random sampling was used to select the study participants. A pretested validated semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: Majority of the study participants, strongly agree that the subject helps in interpretation (75.8%), and is important in medical practice (61.7%). However, 85% of the study participants feel that software is difficult to use. 90% of the study participants find the subject hard to understand. The mean score of subject content, understanding, the current impact was significantly higher among the fourth-year students than the third-year students. There was no significant difference between the genders. Conclusion: Introduction of data collection sessions and appraisal of excerpts in published articles can provide practical knowledge and accentuate the role of bio statistics in health care.
