For a study, researchers sought to determine how much internal medicine residents know about marijuana and how they feel about its medical use. They conducted cross-sectional descriptive research. From July to December 2020, an internal medicine resident from the Mount Sinai Morningside-West (MSMW) program completed a survey with 12 standardized questions. The participants were preliminary and categorical residents from post-graduate years 1 to 3. Residents were asked to self-assess their understanding of the indications, contraindications, and side effects of medical marijuana (MM) as part of the survey. Out of a total of 145 residents, 86 (59%) completed the study. Even though most trainees (70%) had contemplated certifying the use of MM for their patients, over 90% said they knew nothing about it. Approximately 80% of those polled said they would be willing to acquire a suitable educational curriculum. To the best of the investigator’s knowledge, this was the first study to show that questioned internal medicine residents had a severe dearth of medical marijuana-related information. Physician education on the indications, toxicity, and pharmacological interactions of cannabinoids was necessary for a community where cannabis use was on the rise.
Source:bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-022-01651-9
