What is the value of teaching basic science as part of the medical curriculum?

Abstract Introduction Degrees in medicine have been designed with an aim to illustrate the interplay between research and medical application in mind. The guiding principle for this design is that evidence-based medicine will lead to better patient outcomes, which underpin the modus operandi of the General Medical Council and the Department of Health in the United Kingdom. Yet, the basic science components of undergraduate Medical programmes are anecdotally met with resistance from undergraduate medical students in the United Kingdom. Whilst most research has concentrated on the students’ perspective on why this might be the case, this paper explores the perceived value that clinically trained academic faculty place on the importance of pre-clinical biomedical training for UG Medical students. We explore this through reflective narratives of clinically trained members of academic staff based at two research intensive universities in the United Kingdom. Methods We collected data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews of current clinically trained members of staff at two research-intensive UK Universities. By using open and axial coding, we undertook a structured thematic analysis approach, exploring themes as guided by our research aim. Results Our analysis revealed that factors current clinically trained members of staff recalled as particularly impactful in their training, include perceptions of mentorship, motivation for learning, and influence of role models. Conclusions Our analysis indicate students come to terms with science-driven, evidence-based medicine over a much longer period of time than that defined by a typical undergraduate degree. Our analysis shows that a key factor for more successful curriculum delivery is to allow teaching faculty the time and space to reflect on the value they place on the curricula they are being called upon to teach.