Students’ perception of implementing journal clubs in an undergraduate medical curriculum

Background: Journal club is an essential teaching-learning activity that provides a forum for
developing skills in critical appraisal. It helps in keeping abreast of new knowledge, facilitating
the application of new research in improving patient care, and aiding medical students to
be competent clinicians. The current study aimed to elucidate whether students are aware
of the concept of a journal club and their willingness to implement a journal club in their
undergraduate medical curriculum.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the undergraduate medical students
at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, The National University of Science and
Technology, in February 2019. A structured questionnaire of 8 items was administered that
assessed the knowledge, attitude, and perceptions towards implementation of a journal club
(JC) in an undergraduate curriculum among medical students. A total of 161 undergraduate
medical students participated in the study.
Results: Of the 161 students, 112 (69.4%) were in their preclinical years, and 49 (30.6%) were
in their clinical years. In all, 145 students were female and 16 were male. Majority of students
in their preclinical years (70.5%) were not aware of the journal club. Among the five reasons
given for journal clubs to be included in the curriculum, the largest number of students (30.8%)
wanted a journal club because it would help them to gain confidence to present cases in clinics
and exams. The most common reason students did not want a journal club was that it requires
a great deal of time to prepare (64.3%).
Conclusion: The introduction of a journal club would enhance the proficiency of undergraduate
students to be lifelong learners. It is a robust educational tool to equip them with knowledge of
research practices that would aid in better patient care.