Biostatistics and Data Analysis Using R: A Tailored Training Approach for Medical Students

Background Statistical literacy and programming skills are of growing importance for clinical scientists to enhance research quality and address the replication crisis. Proposing an innovative teaching approach, the Department of Biostatistics at University of Zurich integrates R language examples into biostatistics lectures in its curriculum to equip medical students with state of the art methodology. Methods The curriculum features comprehensive biostatistics lectures for firstyear bachelor and first-year master students, incorporating medical publication examples with R code. Elective modules delve into advanced statistical topics, together with hands-on exercises with R code, utilizing dynamic reporting tools like RMarkdown and Quarto. Since 2019, a tailored short R course targets clinical researchers, focusing on basic R concepts and data analysis steps. Employing a modern didactic approach, the course alternates receptive and expressive phases using real medical datasets, empowering participants for independent R-based data analyses. Feedback mechanisms, including regularly conducted end-of-course surveys and one-time conducted long-term evaluations, check participant satisfaction and R utilization. Results From August 2020 to February 2023, 16 “R Courses for Medical Research” engaged 193 participants, yielding a 90% end-of-course feedback participation rate and 34% long-term evaluation participation rate. Results indicate high satisfaction (91% “good” or “very good”), and high rate of successful application of R in own research (80% of long-term evaluation participants conducted their data analysis with R). Conclusions Over the past five years, our holistic training approach integrating