Knowledge and awareness on personalised medicine amongst medical students: A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Introduction: Personalized medicine is the field that utilises patients' genetic and environmental data in order to deliver optimal healthcare, and since it is a rapidly evolving area and is currently incorporated in several health care systems, this study was conducted to assess the knowledge and awareness about personalized medicine among medical students in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A sample of medical students from the King Abdulaziz University Hospital were selected for this study and interviewed using a validated self-administered questionnaire. Results: 534 students participated in the study, 324 (60.7%) acknowledged to having heard of personalized medicine, yet only 42 (7.9%) self-scored their level of knowledge about personalized medicine at “extremely knowledgeable”. About one-third of the participants showed high interest in genetic testing personally, and the other applications of personalized medicine. On an academic note, 437 (81.8%) were interested in attending rotations and rounds focusing primarily on personalized medicine. Conclusion: Participants demonstrated genuine interest in personalized medicine; however, more focus on this field should be introduced into the medical curricula. There is a need to conduct more national surveys to assess the level of awareness among health professionals and the general population in Saudi Arabia regarding personalised medicine.