Implementation of a Continuous Glucose Monitoring User Wear Experience in a Longitudinal Primary Care Clerkship

Introduction Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are increasingly central to diabetes care. In pharmacy and graduate medical education, CGM wear experiences improve empathy and counseling confidence; evidence in undergraduate medical education is lacking. Objective This study evaluated the impact of a CGM wear experience for second-year medical students during orientation for a longitudinal primary care clerkship. Methods The orientation, facilitated by clinical pharmacists, included a didactic lecture and skills laboratory on insulin dosing, administration, and CGM fundamentals. Students applied a CGM sensor to wear for up to 10 days. Pre- and post-intervention surveys assessed demographics, CGM-related confidence, empathy toward people with CGMs, and practice-changing intent. Surveys were administered one week before and 12 days after the lab and results were analyzed using student t-tests. Results Of 50 enrolled students, 37 completed the pre-survey and 19 completed the post-survey. Baseline demographics demonstrated limited prior CGM experience (13.5%). Empathy scores were high at baseline, with higher ratings for expected healthcare professional empathy compared to self-reported empathy (6.25 vs. 4.10, p<0.001). Overall empathy significantly increased following the intervention (+1.25, p<0.001). Confidence across CGM competencies significantly improved, with an overall increase of 3.07 points (p<0.001), particularly in CGM application, data interpretation, and counseling on access. Post-survey responses demonstrated strong practice-changing intent, including plans to incorporate CGMs into future practice and improved understanding of CGM-informed decision-making (mean scores > 6.3/7). Conclusion A CGM wear experience for undergraduate medical students improved empathy for patients wearing CGMs, increased confidence in CGM-use and counseling, and led to a high number of participants planning to incorporate CGMs into their practice. Findings will inform strategies for early integration of wearable diabetes technology into medical curricula.