Knowledge, Attitudes, and Barriers Toward Research Among Medical Students of Karachi

Factors influencing research productivity among Syrian medical professionals amidst conflict: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Medical research productivity is globally increasing, with a lagging progress in third-world countries due to significant challenges, including inadequate training and brain drain. Syria had been showing a slow upward trend until the war broke out and severely hindered academic growth and productivity. A deeper understanding of the factors influencing research productivity in this context are fundamental to guide educational policies and resource allocation. Previous cross-sectional studies that evaluated the perspectives of Syrian academics on the issue were limited by the small sample size of published healthcare workers, making it difficult to identify the factors that enabled them to pursue research.

METHODS

To address this challenge, we employed a case-control design. We isolated published early-career Syrian healthcare workers and compared their characteristics and perceptions to unpublished matched controls. Authors in the fields of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy affiliated with any Syrian University were identified through an extensive search of PubMed and Google Scholar.These authors were invited to complete a questionnaire that covered participants' research contributions, alongside their self-assessed knowledge, attitudes, and barriers towards research. The questionnaire was publicly published to recruit an equal sample of matching controls, with half consisting of unpublished researchers and the other half of participants without prior research contributions.

RESULTS

Six-hundred-sixteen participants were recruited. Their knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers explained 46% and 34% of the variability in research involvement and publication, respectively (P < 0.001). Getting involved in and publishing research studies associated with higher research-related knowledge and attitudes (P < 0.001). Respondents' assessment of research-related barriers and their academic scores did not differ between cases and controls. Superior research-related knowledge and attitudes were associated with male gender, higher English competency, and better internet connectivity. Meanwhile, extracurricular training and mentors' support were associated with more positive research-related attitudes and less perceived barriers.

CONCLUSIONS

Research productivity of medical professionals in Syria exhibits a positive correlation with their knowledge and favorable attitudes towards medical research. Noteworthy, the demographic variations are linked to disparities in research-related knowledge and motivation. In conclusion, these results suggest a potential avenue for enhancement through concentrated efforts on improving extracurricular training interventions and mentors' support.

Challenges and Barriers to Medical Research Among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

 The pivotal role of research in medicine is undeniable, as it is vital for the progress of healthcare methods and patients' well-being. This notwithstanding, medical and dental students in Saudi Arabia face many barriers that prevent them from participating in research activities. This research aims to reveal the impediments that are particularly relevant, with select challenges and barriers being mentioned, such as time issues, the inadequate supply of resources, and insufficient training and guidance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

 By using a cross-sectional study, the researchers have provided a questionnaire for medical students across multiple Saudi Arabian medical colleges via the online platform. The IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23 (Released 2015; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) was used for data analysis, which leaned clearly on the descriptive statistical part, using a chi-square test to investigate the association between two categorical variables.

RESULTS

 There were 469 total participants, and data analysis clearly showed that lack of statistical skills (74.2%), time constraints (73.3%), and research topic selection (71.4%) were the most major obstacles to research participation. Even though the same barriers existed, a significant percentage of students (75.5%) definitely showed interest in the research, with 89.6% of the students recognizing the importance of research in the medical field. Furthermore, it should be highlighted that the female students showed a stronger positive attitude toward research than the male students (70% vs. 58.3%).

CONCLUSION

 The results highlight the necessity for the improvement of the medical education curriculum within Saudi Arabia, including the creation of a research participation system for the students. Through learning strategies emphasizing the importance of research, mentorship programs, and providing resources to the students, there will be an increase in their participation and success in the research. This will lead to an enriching medical research environment.

Understanding challenges to medical and dental student research practices. An insight from a cross-sectional study of the public sector in Pakistan

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study is to identify and comprehend the challenges experienced by the undergraduate medical and dental students in enrolled in public sector in Pakistan while conducting research.

METHODOLOGY

A cross-sectional study was carried out from April to June of 2023 among undergraduate students at public sector medical and dental schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A customized questionnaire was developed to gather information on the challenges faced by students when undertaking research. The survey was circulated online using Google Forms, and participation was entirely optional. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the responses.

RESULTS

Participants in the study were 58 male and 139 female students who were enrolled in the Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programs. The analysis found that 47% of students cited a lack of knowledge and research skills as a major barrier, while 40% cited time restrictions as a major issue. Mentorship and training issues were cited as major barriers by 51% of students, while a lack of institutional support was cited as a significant issue by 53% of students. Language issues made it difficult to produce research papers for 14% of students, while finding research opportunities was challenging for 38% of students.

CONCLUSION

According to the research, undergraduate medical and dentistry students in the public sector encountered a number of challenges when conducting research. It was suggested that these issues be resolved by include research projects in the curriculum, providing specific interventions for enhancing research skills, establishing mentorship programs, and allocating funds for research activities.

Medical students' perceptions, experiences, and barriers towards research implementation at the faculty of medicine, Tanta university

BACKGROUND

Research is essential for advancing medical knowledge and improving patient care. However, research capacity and output are low in low- and middle-income countries due to various challenges, including a lack of research training among medical students. Integrating research training into undergraduate medical curricula can help address this issue.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2022 and March 2023 among 462 undergraduate medical students at Tanta University, Egypt to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers toward conducting research. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS.

RESULTS

Nearly half (49.8%) of the students had an acceptable level of knowledge about research concepts while over two-thirds (66.2%) had a positive attitude. The most common barriers were lack of funding, time, and training in research methods. Previous research training was reported by 66.7% of students, but less than half had participated in or presented research. Students in the competency-based program had significantly higher knowledge and more positive attitudes than those in the mainstream program. Knowledge level was positively correlated with attitude.

CONCLUSION

While attitudes were generally positive, improvements are needed in research training and opportunities among undergraduate medical students at Tanta University to help address low research capacity challenges in low- and middle-income countries. Integration of formal research training into the curriculum may help increase knowledge and participation in research.

Peer mentorship to build research capacity among members of the International Student Surgical Network (InciSioN): a proof of concept study

BACKGROUND

International Student Surgical Network (InciSioN) is the largest student and trainee global surgery interest group worldwide and its members have contributed significantly to global surgery research. The InciSioN Research Capacity-Building (IReCaB) program aimed to enhance the research skills and confidence of participants via a peer mentorship model.

METHODS

After an open call to members of InciSioN to enroll, participants' knowledge of research methods and the process was evaluated through a test to assign mentor and mentee roles, with mentors being those who scored ≥ 20/25. Mentors then delivered a series of four webinars to help disseminate research methodology to mentees. Finally, mentees were tested on their knowledge of research and their satisfaction with the program was also evaluated.

RESULTS

Fifty-two participants, mostly from LMICs (n = 23/52, 44.2%) were enrolled, and 36 completed the program. There was a significant improvement in the proportion of questions answered correctly on the post-program test (R = 0.755, p < 0.001). Post-IReCaB test scores were greater than pre-IReCaB scores (p < 0.001). The difference in confidence after the course was also significant (p < 0.001). IReCaB participants successfully designed, implemented, and published an international cross-sectional study.

CONCLUSION

This study showed improvements in participants' understanding of theoretical components of scientific research. We offer a model for research capacity building that can be implemented, modeled, and further refined by similar organizations with academic research goals.

A Fully Online Research Practicum Curriculum for Undergraduate Medical Students: A Protocol Paper

INTRODUCTION

Research is a critically important skill for medical trainees that helps physicians to advance the state of science and provide optimal healthcare to patients. The number of physician-scientists is decreasing. Competing priorities, limited research faculty, shrinking research budgets, and meeting accreditation standards limit the amount of time and effort needed to train undergraduate medical students sufficiently for them to engage in independent research activities. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and implementation of a fully online research practicum as part of the medical school curriculum.

METHODS

A fully online research curriculum for preclinical medical students was developed and implemented by the researchers as a mandatory component of student training. This curriculum addressed research education challenges in medical schools with limited resources and/or for situations for which face-to-face research may be impractical or expensive. Students were also encouraged to practice critical thinking and critical appraisal of the evidence. Student-initiated research projects were conducted in teams and completed with support from faculty research mentors and librarians. During the first two cycles, 86 student team projects were completed. During the third cycle, 45 team projects were conducted.

RESULTS

Two complete cycles of a two-semester research practicum were completed. The majority of these studies were presented at regional, national, and international conferences, published as posters, and/or published as articles in peer-reviewed journals. Faculty mentor publications also increased as a result of engagement in the practicum.

DISCUSSION

The results of this research practicum provide evidence of the usefulness of a hands-on tailored research program delivered online for increasing research literacy, promoting interest among medical students in research, and motivation for future engagement in research as verified by student project outcomes during and beyond the practicum experience. The practicum can be used for individual students or as a team-based approach. A research practicum such as this also has the potential to improve the prospects of a successful application for post-graduate training, grants, and high-impact publications.

Challenges and Barriers Toward Medical Research Among Medical and Dental Students at King Khalid University, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background: Medical research is a systematic method to obtain new knowledge, reduce diagnosis problems, discover the latest or best treatment for a disease, and also used for disease prevention. Objective: The study aims to assess the challenges and barriers to conduct medical research among medical and dentistry students and determine the reasons that hinder the conduct of the study. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the research population consisted of medical and dental students affiliated with King Khalid University in Saudi Arabia in 2020. The study followed a descriptive approach based on quantitative analysis. The Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) program (V. 16.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for data analysis. Results: A total of 327 students participated in this study, and the response rate was 100%. Among them, 61.5% were females. In this study majority (63.3%) had a moderate attitude toward conducting medical research and the average was 56.17. The majority (53.8%) had a reasonable behavior toward conducting medical research, and the average was 29.06. Lack of time, skills, funding, facilities, and limited access to medical journals and related databases were the significant barriers found. Most of the students had positive attitudes, except that they are not awarded on their research, do not attend the sessions, and do not speak their thoughts. A significant relationship between demographic characteristics (age, level, and Grade Percentage Average), attitudes & perceived barriers toward research was found (<0.05). Conclusion: The majority of the students demonstrated a positive attitude toward and moderate behavior of research. However, most are not awarded on their research, do not attend the sessions, and do not speak their thoughts. Intensive training and adequate support in research activities of medical and dental students at the undergraduate level may help reduce these challenges and barriers toward research.

Motivators and barriers to research among doctors in the Indian medical scenario: A cross-sectional study from Karnataka, India

Background

The fundamental principles of healthcare practices and policies are derived from good quality research. Doctors collectively are a source of vast sums of invaluable information. This information if effectively utilized can improve and strengthen the healthcare system. Our study provides a comprehensive overview of the ecosystem of an Indian medical researcher.

Objectives

To understand (1) the obstacles faced by medical professionals (2) the challenges encountered at various steps (3) the gaps in research knowledge and (4) the means to rectify them.

Method

Doctors from medical schools, hospitals, and in private practices were approached. Data were collected through online and physical questionnaire. Data were analyzed and studied.

Results

The total number of participants in this study is 212. Case reports (51.9%) and case-control studies (51.14%) are the most frequently conducted types of research. Lack of access to research journals (43.9%) and absence of proper guidance or mentorship (37.39%) are the commonly faced challenges among individuals who have pursued research, whereas busy schedule is the top-cited reason for not pursuing research (34.24%) and discontinuing research (57.4%). Coordinating time schedule with mentees is a challenge for mentors (49.2%). Doctors also face the greatest difficulty (48.12%) and delay (47.4%) in the publication process. On the other hand, personal interest (60.15%) and job requirement (46.61%) are the top facilitators for research. A small percentage has or knows someone that has plagiarized (21.32%) or falsified data (33.49%). Most of the doctors agree that research experience should be a mandatory part of undergrad training (81.6%).

Conclusion

We believe interest, impact and importance of research can be the best developed and emphasized in the training years. Institutional support, adequate mentorship and an uplifting research environment can go a long way in motivating the doctors and tackling the challenges they face.

Seeking motivation for selecting Medical Profession as a Career Choice

Objective

To determine the motivational factors of medical students for selecting medical career as a profession.

Methods

This was a survey based cross-sectional study. Medical students of first and second year from private and public medical colleges of Rawalpindi and Islamabad were recruited via convenient sampling and a self-based questionnaire was distributed to them. Besides demographics, questions were based on factors influencing medical students to pursue medical career. Data was collected and descriptive analysis was done using SPSS 21.

Results

A total of 300 medical students participated in the study; 129 (43%) of them were males and 171 (57%) were females with mean age of 19.35 years. Among Humanitarian based questions; Serving Humanity gained highest percentage, followed by sympathies for mankind and health for everyone sequentially. In Societal factors, Prestigious Profession and in Scientific factors based questions Challenging Field ranked first. Amongst all the questions Prestigious Profession takes the lead.

Conclusion

Major motivation behind selecting medical field was prestigious profession followed by altruism. By understanding medical students' motivational factors for pursuing medical field we would be able to analyze the future trend of professionals.

Assessment of the current knowledge and willingness to conduct medical research work of future healthcare providers: A cross-sectional study in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Background and Objectives

Healthcare research work contributes significantly to the advancement and development of medical education. Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficiency and productivity of student participation in medical research work, which has a positive impact on the health system. In this study, we intended to examine medical students' knowledge and attitudes regarding, and actual participation in, medical research work.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 184 medical students of Batterjee Medical College. The students received a paper-based survey questionnaire, containing multiple parts that related to their knowledge and attitudes regarding, and actual participation in, research work. One-way analysis of variance was utilized for the comparison of the average scores of the academic specialization groups.

Results

One hundred and forty-three participants completed the questionnaire, with a response rate of 78%. The overall average scores for the students' knowledge and attitudes regarding, and actual participation in, research work were 57.2%, 76%, and 31.5%, respectively. Medicine students obtained significantly higher average scores than the students of other specializations in terms of the scale of knowledge and attitudes regarding, and actual participation in, research work. The principal barriers that deterred the students from undertaking research work were poor time management (68.5%), inadequate feedback (64.3%), and a lack of research skills (54.5%).

Conclusion

Medical students showed a low level of knowledge relating to research work and infrequently participated in them, but they reported a positive attitude toward research work activity. Extensive work is needed to overcome several barriers, such as poor time management and insufficient research skills.