The Time Is Now for Mandatory Liver‐Focused Clinical Experiences in Medical School

Abstract

The national burden of chronic liver disease is steadily increasing and is only expected to worsen with the ongoing obesity and opioid epidemics fueling growth in the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and a resurgence of new hepatitis C infections. Our letter highlights the disparity between the rising prevalence of chronic liver disease and the proportion of medical students who receive exposure to patients with liver disease as part of their medical education. A more comprehensive survey of clerkship directors is needed to further corroborate this data, which may lead to reforms in medical school curricula to better address the expanding burden of chronic liver disease.