title: Tobacco counseling experience prior to starting medical school, tobacco treatment self-efficacy and knowledge among first-year medical students in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore students' tobacco dependence counseling experiences prior to medical school and their associations with tobacco counseling self-efficacy, and familiarity with and perceived effectiveness of tobacco dependence treatment among first-year medical students in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2010, 1266 first-year medical students from 10 US medical schools completed a survey reporting their clinical experiences with specific tobacco counseling skills (e.g., 5As) prior to medical school. The survey also included questions on tobacco counseling self-efficacy, perceived physician impact on smokers, and familiarity and effectiveness of tobacco-related treatments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Half (50.4%) reported some tobacco counseling experiences prior to medical school (i.e. at least one 5A). Students with prior counseling experiences were more likely to have higher tobacco counseling self-efficacy, and greater familiarity with medication treatment, nicotine replacement treatment, and behavioral counseling for smoking cessation, compared to those with no prior experiences. Perceived physician impact on patient smoking outcomes did not differ by prior tobacco counseling experiences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many first-year medical students may already be primed to learn tobacco dependence counseling skills. Enhancing early exposure to learning these skills in medical school is likely to be beneficial to the skillset of our future physicians.
authors: Clinical and Population Health Research Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; Division of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases and Vulnerable Populations, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA. Electronic address: rui.xiao@umassmed.edu.
authors: Rui S
authors: RS
authors: Xiao
authors: Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
authors: Rashelle B
authors: RB
authors: Hayes
authors: Division of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases and Vulnerable Populations, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
authors: Molly E
authors: ME
authors: Waring
authors: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Alan C
authors: AC
authors: Geller
authors: Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
authors: Linda C
authors: LC
authors: Churchill
authors: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors: Kolawole S
authors: KS
authors: Okuyemi
authors: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Georgetown University Hospital, USA.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Adams
authors: Department of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors: Kathryn N
authors: KN
authors: Huggett
authors: Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
authors: Judith K
authors: JK
authors: Ockene
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020377:Self Efficacy; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Medical students; Perceived effectiveness; Self-efficacy; Tobacco dependence treatment