Purpose
Managing chronic pain while avoiding opioid misuse remains a key challenge in clinical education. Despite the public health urgency, many medical students report limited training, low confidence, and stigma toward chronic pain patients. This project aims to explore how medical students are being prepared to manage pain and prescribe opioids safely, and to identify gaps that may inform more consistent and compassionate pain education.

Methods
This is a multi-institutional, prospective longitudinal study designed to follow medical students throughout their four years of training. Participants complete an annual survey assessing knowledge of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic pain management, confidence in opioid prescribing, and attitudes toward patients with chronic pain. The survey includes Likert-scale and open-ended items. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis to track trends and insights over time. This abstract presents the study design and preliminary implementation progress.

Results
Initial student responses highlight variability in exposure to pain management education and early uncertainty around opioid prescribing. Many respondents reported discomfort managing chronic pain and a desire for earlier, more integrated instruction. Survey distribution is ongoing, with additional data expected over the coming academic year. Findings will inform targeted curricular recommendations.

Conclusion
This study offers a framework for understanding how student perceptions of pain and opioid prescribing evolve during medical training. Preliminary findings support the need for more structured, longitudinal, and stigma-aware approaches to pain education. Insights from this work may help guide improvements in curricula that prepare future physicians to manage pain more safely and compassionately.