title: Short course in evidence-based medicine improves knowledge and skills of undergraduate medical students: a before-and-after study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Providing evidence-based care is recognized as a key skill for health care workers from diverse professions and cultures.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to assess the effectiveness of a short course in evidence-based medicine (EBM) to change the knowledge and skills of undergraduate medical students and point to possible incorporation of EBM in their curriculum.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a before-and-after study that was evaluated by the Fresno questionnaire. A 2-week short course of lectures, seminars, online search, and answering worksheets was conducted on 54 fifth-year medical students rotating through the family medicine department at Jordan University Hospital from September 1 until mid-December 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The students achieved a mean score of 26.7 out of 200 in the pretest and 119.5 in the posttest. The mean difference between the pre- and posttests was 92.8, a statistically significant result with a 95% confidence interval of 84.7, 101.0 (p<.0001) with an effect size of 4.2 standard deviation units.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A short course in EBM will significantly improve the skills and knowledge of undergraduate medical students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Family Medicine, Jordan University, Amman, Jordan. f_barghouty@live.com
authors.forename: Farihan F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Barghouti
authors.forename: Nada A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Yassein
authors.forename: Ruba M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Jaber
authors.forename: Noor J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Khader
authors.forename: Somayya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al Shokhaibi
authors.forename: Anas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almohtaseb
authors.forename: Nuha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: AbuRmaileh
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007597:Jordan; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult