Purpose A knowledge gap exists between general physicians and specialists in diagnosing and managing Alzheimer
disease (AD). This gap is concerning due to the estimated rise in prevalence of AD and cost to the health care system.
Medical school is a viable avenue to decrease the gap, educating future physicians before they specialize. The purpose of
this study was to assess the knowledge level of students in their first and final years of medical school. Methods: Fourteen
participating United States medical schools used e-mail student rosters to distribute an online survey of a quantitative
cross-sectional assessment of knowledge about AD; 343 students participated. Knowledge was measured using the
12-item University of Alabama at Birmingham AD Knowledge Test for Health Professionals. General linear models were
used to examine the effect of demographic variables and previous experience with AD on knowledge scores. Results:
Only 2.5% of first year and 68.0% of final year students correctly scored ten or more items on the knowledge scale. Personal
experience with AD predicted higher knowledge scores in final year students (P=0.027). Conclusion: Knowledge
deficiencies were common in final year medical students. Future studies to identify and evaluate the efficacy of AD education
programs in medical schools are warranted. Identifying and disseminating effective programs may help close the
knowledge gap.
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