Assessing the perceptions of fibromyalgia syndrome in united states among academic physicians and medical students: Where are we and where are we headed?

AbstractObjectives: Fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS] is a common condition, often diagnosed in the primary care setting, causing diffuse pain with additional somatic symptoms. Many physicians have questioned the existence of FMS due to an unclear pathophysiological origin and its overlap with other somatic syndromes. We sought to assess the perceptions of FMS among United States medical students and internal medicine and family medicine trained physicians working in an academic hospital.Methods: Residents and attendings working in a local teaching hospital were given questionnaires during undergraduate medical education sessions and academic conferences in internal medicine and family medicine. Medical students received surveys during small group sessions and through student mailboxes.Results: Seventy-two internal and family medicine trained physicians and 211 medical students were surveyed. In assessing whether FMS was primarily physiological or psychological in origin, 66% of physicians compared to only 29% ...