Medical student interest and participation in research at one rural clinical school: Insights from the last six years

INTRODUCTION

Limited evidence is currently available relating to research acitivity of medical students training in regional or rural areas.

OBJECTIVE

To describe medical student interest and participation in research at The University of Queensland Rural Clinical School (UQRCS).

DESIGN

Annual student expression of interest surveys were collated with records of student research participation maintained at UQRCS from 2017-2022. Additionally, a systematic search was conducted to identify student outputs not captured in internal records. Frequencies and proportions were calculated for all descriptive data along with proportions of students who engaged with a project, and projects that led to a peer-reviewed publication.

FINDINGS

At UQRCS commencement, 55% of research-interested students reported having basic research skills. Thirty-nine percent of research-interested students engaged with a project, most commonly literature reviews (47%) or audits (29%). Thirty-three percent of completed projects led to a peer-reviewed manuscript.

DISCUSSION

Students who engage with a project are unlikely to receive a project in their preferred clinical area and should be informed about the transferrability of research skills. Most students have basic research skills when commencing a project and therefore require ongoing support and mentorship from staff/supervisors.

CONCLUSION

Publication rates of medical students in regional/rural areas are comparable to those reported by metropolitan medical schools (~30%).

Identifying Student Research Project Impact Using the Buxton and Hanney Payback Framework

Objectives. To determine whether evidence of the impact of student quality improvement projects and research projects on practice sites and the community can be identified using the Buxton and Hanney Payback Framework (BHPF).Methods. The BHPF was used to identify the broader impact of quality improvement projects and research projects conducted by the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) class of 2020. The BHPF includes five domains of community impact: knowledge production, benefits to health or the health sector, benefits to future research, economic benefits, and policy and product development. Data were collected by having project preceptors complete a questionnaire and by reviewing student project posters. Data were analyzed by calculating frequencies and percentages for each domain.Results. Projects (N=73) were completed by 107 pharmacy students at health-system sites, community sites, academic sites, and other sites, and most often involved clinical care and pharmacy services (49%). Thirty-three preceptors (55%) responded to the questionnaire, and 73 project posters were reviewed. The most frequently identified impact types were knowledge production (n=43 for questionnaire, n=24 for posters) and health/health sector benefits (n=46 for questionnaire, n=8 for posters). Less frequently identified were economic benefits (total n=19), benefits to future research (total n=13), and policy and product development (total n=10).Conclusions. This study provides evidence that the impact of PharmD student quality improvement and research projects on practice sites and communities can be identified using the BHPF framework, and this impact extends beyond the usual academic outcomes of poster presentations and publications to include benefits related to improving quality of services, improving workflow, and providing opportunity for personal development.

Don't Be Too Political: Depoliticization, Sexual Orientation, and Undergraduate STEM Major Persistence

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) students persist in STEM majors at a lower rate than their heterosexual peers. This study posits that heteronormativity, as an instance of depoliticization in STEM affecting LGBQ students, could be a primary contributing factor. Using national, longitudinal data from the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA, this study tested LGBQ-related college experiences to determine if they help explain the retention gap between LGBQ STEM students and their heterosexual peers. Through multilevel regression modeling, we found that LGBQ status is not a significant predictor of retention in STEM after controlling for LGBQ-related experiences. The results suggest that LGBQ-related and other politicized experiences predict lower retention in STEM for heterosexual students, meaning a culture of depoliticization in STEM may be detrimental to more students than those in minoritized social identity groups.

Student Pharmacists' Perspectives Regarding a Virtually Delivered Research Proposal Course in the Doctor of Pharmacy Curriculum

This study aimed to assess third-year student pharmacists' perspectives regarding a virtually delivered research proposal course. A 23-item questionnaire was distributed to third-year student pharmacists enrolled in a research proposal course over three weeks in April 2021. The questionnaire contained 15 Likert-scale items, seven descriptive items, and a free-text item for additional comments about the course. Items were summarized using descriptive statistics. Fifty-four student pharmacists (response rate = 40.9%) participated in the survey. The student pharmacists surveyed generally had a positive perception of the virtually delivered research proposal course with median scores ≥ 4 (indicating agreement) for the majority (13/15) of survey items. Students did not agree that there was no difference in their motivation to succeed in the virtual course versus an in-person course and did not agree that they were more likely to pursue a career that involves undertaking a research project. This study found that student pharmacists generally had a positive perception of a virtually delivered research proposal course. These findings offer some support for the provision of an online, virtually delivered research proposal course for student pharmacists. Further research with a larger sample of students from multiple pharmacy schools is needed to improve the generalizability of the results.

Public Health Student's Attitudes Toward Research

Research is able to improve the lives of big populations by investigating effective interventions and then implementing those through public health policies. Whilst research on the inclination of Medical or Science undergraduate and postgraduate students has been conducted, little is known about what students pursuing a Masters degree in Public Health perceive the purpose of research to be. Their perceptions and inclinations will shape their research pursuits and career directions, which impacts the health outcomes of the community. Our findings suggest MPH students see improving the lives of the community as the most important purpose of research. Student's had more inclination to pursue research when influenced by a mentor however, many students still claimed that they either lacked confidence and skills in completing research or had no intention of pursuing research beyond their degrees, which suggests the need for curriculum adjustments.

Factors Influencing Scientific Achievements of Medical Students in the Anatomy Research Group: An Analysis From the Autonomous University of Nuevo León in Mexico

Scientific research and student involvement are critical to the formation of physicians, yet the number of medical researchers has decreased over time. To implement corrective strategies, the variables associated with positive research attitudes and productivity among medical students must be identified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variables associated with students interested or involved in research. A validated questionnaire was applied to the student members of an established anatomy research group in a Mexican medical school with a six-year medical program. Data were collected and analyzed. A total of 85.5% (n = 77/90) students answered the survey with most respondents being second-year medical students. The majority of respondents indicated that the important component of conducting research was a contribution to the new knowledge (45.5%) and to the scientific community (42.9%). More than half of respondents mentioned a professor or a peer as the initial motivation to become involved in research. Lack of time was the main limitation (59.7%) to research involvement. Perceived benefits were knowledge and team work skills. Of those involved, most (85.7%) wished to continue participating in research as a complement to their clinical work. Professors and student colleagues were found to play an important motivational and recruitment role for medical research. These efforts in turn have developed into long-lasting mentor-mentee relationships. Students also anticipated that early involvement in research will positively influence the likelihood of future physicians' contribution and collaboration in research.

Evaluation of a Fourth-Year Student Pharmacist Research Process at a Community Teaching Health System

Objective. To evaluate a process developed to support research by fourth-year student pharmacists enrolled in an advanced pharmacy practice experience at a health system affiliated with a school of pharmacy.Methods. In 2017, clinical, non-tenure track faculty transitioned from facilitating a fourth-year research elective to implementing a new student research process that matches students to research preceptors at the beginning of the academic year and provides training and resources to them throughout the year. This pre-post study evaluated student pharmacist research participation, dissemination, and placement into a residency or job position at the time of graduation, and then compared data for the three years before the new process was implemented to data for the three years after implementation.Results. Thirty-three fourth-year students assigned to the health system graduated from 2015 to 2017, and 31 graduated from 2018 to 2020. The percentage of students in each cohort who completed research projects increased significantly (48.5% vs 87.1%), the number of projects increased significantly (18 vs 35), the number of presentations increased significantly (29 vs 63), and the number of publications increased significantly (9 vs 20). The percentage of research students who pursued postgraduate training increased (68.8% vs 96.3%), as did their rate of placement into training programs (81.8% vs 92.3%). Of those students who did not participate in research, the percent who pursued training also increased (17.6% vs 75%), but the rate of placement remained the same (66.7%).Conclusion. Matching fourth-year student pharmacists to research preceptors at the beginning of the academic year and providing them with training and resources throughout the year was associated with increased research productivity.

A student led computational screening of peptide inhibitors against main protease of SARS-CoV-2

The main protease of SARS-CoV-2 is a promising drug target due to its functional role as a catalytic dyad in mediating proteolysis during the viral life cycle. In this study, experimentally proven 14 HIV protease peptides were screened against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. Fourteen middle and high school "student researchers" were trained on relevant computational tools, provided with necessary biological and chemical background and scientific article writing. They performed the primary screening via molecular docking and the best performing complexes were subjected to molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular docking revealed that HIP82 and HIP1079 can bind with the catalytic residues, however after molecular dynamics simulation only HIP1079 retained its interaction with the catalytic sites. The student researchers were also trained to write scientific article and were involved with drafting of the manuscript. This project provided the student researchers an insight into multi-disciplinary research in biology and chemistry, inspired them about practical approaches of computational chemistry in solving a real-world problem like a global pandemic. This project also serves as an example to introduce scientific inquiry, research methodology, critical thinking, scientific writing, and communication for high school students.

Taking Pause: A COVID-19 Student Reflection on Global Health Research Opportunities, Training, and Institutional Reform

Restrictions to research due to COVID-19 have required global health researchers to factor public health measures into their work and discuss the most ethical means to pursue research under safety concerns and resource constraints. In parallel, global health research opportunities for students have also adapted to safety concerns and resource constraints. Some projects have been canceled or made remote, but inventively, domestic research opportunities have been created as alternatives for students to continue gaining global health learning competencies. Knowing the ethical challenges inherent in short-term student global health research and research in strained health systems, it is intriguing why these safer alternatives were not previously pervasive in global health education. This paper provides perspectives from students training at academic institutions in the US on how COVID-19 disrupted student research and what can be learned from the associated shifts in global health research. Additionally, the authors take this opportunity to advocate for academic institutions from high-income countries to reflect on long-standing global health research conventions that have been perpetuated and bolster training for students conducting global health research. The authors draw on their experiences, existing literature, and qualitative interviews with students who pursued global health research during COVID-19.

STEM Lab on a Kitchen Table: An Investigation of Remote Student-Driven Problem-Based Research

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic affected formal and informal education programs in the USA. The pandemic had a devastating impact on programs that required a dedicated physical space and in-person laboratory research. The distinguishing feature of New Hampshire Academy of Science (NHAS) programs is the participation of secondary school students in STEM research projects that emulate university-level research. Moving to a remote format presented various challenges. In this case study, we describe and discuss our experiences transforming a summer STEM research program for secondary school students from on-site and in-person to a remote platform, providing details of the planning phase, the logistics of maintaining the quality of the students' research, and the results of internal and external evaluations. Of the 33 students who participated, 32 completed all central elements of the program, and 25 went further and submitted summary papers and presented their research at the remote annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. External evaluation found that students saw their work as similar to that of professional scientists, and perceived themselves to have gained proficiency in the use of scientific techniques and instrumentation. Students expressed they missed elements of in-person lab work including social interactions.

A Course-Based Research Experience Using the Allen Brain Map: From Research Question to Poster Session

San Francisco, CA A major challenge in implementing course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) is for students to collect enough data for a robust analysis given the time and equipment available. One approach to mitigating this constraint in a CURE is to use massive open datasets such as those from the Allen Brain Map, produced by the Allen Institute for Brain Science. We describe a multi-week CURE module in which students generate a research question that can be addressed using at least two datasets of the Allen Brain Map, perform their analysis, and produce a conference-style poster detailing their findings. This article includes an adaptable CURE assignment, tutorials introducing students to selected datasets from the Allen Brain Map, and a summary of student outcomes.

Effect of Medical Student Contributions on Academic Productivity: Analysis of Student Authorship Over Time

INTRODUCTION

Understanding the trend of student authorship is crucial in determining its correlation to scholarly impact for corresponding authors. Our objective is to investigate student authorship rates over time in articles published in JAMA Internal Medicine (IM), as well as to examine potential effects student authors have on scholarly impact scores of corresponding authors via H-index measures.

METHODS

Authorship data including student authors (SA), first student authors, and corresponding authors (CA) from prior JAMA IM publications between 2010 and 2018 were collected, with a total of 701 studies. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent sample t-tests were performed to assess for differences in the mean by publishing year and student authorship, respectively.

RESULTS

Of 4591 total authors, 683 (14.9%) were considered student authors. The percentage of student authorship increased from 46.3% to 58.0% between 2010 and 2018, respectively. No difference in average H-indices of CA between SA and non-SA groups (overall NSA H_i mean: 30.2, vs SA H_i mean: 32.1, p=0.371) was noted.

DISCUSSION

Student participation in research is not a disadvantage to scholarly impact for corresponding authors. Increased student authorship reflects a promising trend towards greater student participation in research within the field of medicine.

Eleven-year experience implementing a dental undergraduate research programme in a prestigious dental school in China: Lessons learned and future prospects

OBJECTIVE

To summarise the lessons learned from implementing a dental undergraduate research programme over the past eleven years and identify key elements to guarantee the success of dental undergraduate research in the future.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

An overview of 80 research projects from 2007 to 2017 was provided, consisting of 239 participating undergraduates and 47 faculty advisors. Students' academic performance was compared between participating and non-participating undergraduates. An anonymous questionnaire was designed and distributed to participants, with VAS satisfaction assessment, Likert-scale items and open-ended questions. Questions focused on overall satisfaction, motivation, benefits to student career development and essential elements for the dental undergraduate research programme in the future.

RESULTS

The undergraduate participants had significantly better scores of GPAs (3.41 vs 3.21; P < 0.0001), obtained more awards on the honour rolls (0.53 vs 0.30; P = 0.0171) and published more peer-reviewed articles (1.62 vs 1.31; P = 0.0253) than non-participants. Seventy-two undergraduates (75.79%) and thirty-eight advisors (80.85%) responded to the questionnaire. The overall satisfaction was scored as 78.18/100 and 72.36/100 amongst advisors and students, respectively. Interest was considered the best motivation for participation by students (3.81/5.00) and advisors (4.00/5.00). The research programme was beneficial to students' overall career development. Essential roles played by the dental school, faculty and undergraduates were suggested to improve the research environment.

CONCLUSION

The dental undergraduate research programme has positive effects on students' academic performance. The support of the dental school, the engagement of qualified faculty, the interest and autonomy of students and camaraderie amongst these three key elements are essential for the research programme in the future.

Providing interactive and field laboratories while teaching university marine biology classes in an era of COVID-19

An entirely online upper-division university marine invertebrates course modeled after a field experience-intensive course that also provided interaction with live animals and research experience was offered at Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory in the summer of 2020. We describe online methods we used for providing field experiences to students participating online, as well as a workstation and interactive method for identification and detailed anatomical examination of live macroinvertebrates with students. Students were also involved as active participants in a field research project. Nearly all of the equipment involved is inexpensive or readily available in most university biology laboratories or classrooms.

Fostering PharmD Skills Related to Research and Quality Improvement Through Mentored Projects

Objective. To assess the impact of a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) capstone project on students' ability to conduct research and quality improvement, and to assess the feasibility of requiring projects in the core curriculum. Methods. Project proposals were solicited from faculty members and local colleagues, and students matched with an individual project and mentor. After developing a written research proposal in their third professional year, students completed the project with mentor oversight in their third and fourth professional years, culminating with a poster session and completion of a manuscript prior to graduation. Students' knowledge of biostatistics, research confidence, and attitudes regarding research were evaluated using a validated survey instrument. Students and mentors were surveyed for feedback, and students' publications and presentations were tracked. Results. Sixty-one students (97%) completed their projects on time. Students' confidence in their ability to understand and participate in research increased, but improvement in statistical knowledge and interest in conducting future research projects was minimal. Fifty-eight percent of students presented posters at national conferences. Thirteen (21%) published manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. Students and mentors responded positively overall about the program and the associated time requirements. Conclusion. Requiring PharmD students to complete a capstone project prior to graduation was feasible and increased student confidence in their ability to participate in research and the number of student and faculty poster presentations and peer-reviewed publications. These findings support the consideration of the Academy that analysis, synthesis, and creation of new knowledge can be successfully implemented into the core PharmD curricula.

A Systematic Review of Extramural Presentations and Publications from Pharmacy Student Research Programs

Objective. To conduct a systematic review of reports of pharmacy student research programs that describes the programs and resulting publications or presentations. Methods. To be eligible for the review, reports had to be in English and indicate that students were required to collect, analyze data, and report or present findings. The outcome variables were extramural posters/presentations and publications. Results. Database searches resulted in identification of 13 reports for 12 programs. Two-thirds were reports of projects required for a course or for graduation, and the remaining third were elective (participation was optional). Extramural posters resulted from 75% of the programs and publications from 67%. Conclusion. Although reporting on the outcomes of student research programs is limited, three-quarters of the programs indicated that extramural presentations, publications, or both resulted from student research. Additional research is needed to identify relevant outcomes of student research programs in pharmacy.

The Impact of Ethics Review on a Research-Led University Curriculum: Results of a Qualitative Study in Australia

In the human sciences, a student research-centered pedagogy is constrained by institutional ethics review, yet there is little research on the impact of ethics review on research-led teaching. This article documents a range of ways that Australian universities are responding to ethics review of undergraduate human research. Forty teachers and administrators were interviewed at 14 universities using purposive sampling to document the range of ways teachers are avoiding ethics review or incorporating it into their curriculum. Some reported halting undergraduate research or evading ethics review, regarding it as meaningless bureaucracy divorced from actual ethical thinking. Those who incorporated ethics review into student research did so by collaborating with administrators. Institutions can facilitate research-led teaching by designing dedicated forms and decentralized review procedures for student research.

Finding the right doctoral thesis - an innovative research fair for medical students

INTRODUCTION

The importance of research, as promoted by the CanMEDS framework, is widely acknowledged. Many medical students in Germany work on a research project as part of their doctoral thesis whilst still going to medical school. However, a significant amount of projects are abandoned unfinished, which leads to substantial wastage of resources. One reason for this is an information deficit concerning undergraduate research projects.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

To counteract this, we introduced an annual event at LMU Munich called DoktaMed with more than 600 visitors each year. It combines medical convention and research fair including keynote lectures, workshops and poster sessions as well as an exhibition of research groups and institutes. DoktaMed is a peer-to-peer event organized by a team of 40 students.

RESULTS

A needs analysis before its implementation underlined the information deficit as a possible cause for the high rate of abandoned projects. In the annual evaluation, visitors of DoktaMed rate the event with an average grade of 2.1 on a six-level Likert scale (n=558, SD=1.06, with "1=very good", "6=poor"). They stated to now feel better informed about the topic and regarded visiting DoktaMed as a worthwhile investment of time.

DISCUSSION

Students are generally satisfied with the event and feel better informed after visiting DoktaMed. However, many students never visit DoktaMed for various reasons. A possible improvement would be to present a greater number of clinical studies in addition to the laboratory work that DoktaMed focuses on now.

CONCLUSION

Evaluation after six years of DoktaMed is very promising. Visitors seem to be better informed. Nevertheless there is space for improvement in order to get more students and more faculty members involved. More studies are needed to assess long-term effects.

Increasing Competitiveness for an Otolaryngology Residency: Where We Are and Concerns about the Future

For graduating medical students, securing a residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery has become exceedingly difficult. This commentary explores the ways that applicants and residency programs are reacting to the increasing competitiveness in applying to, interviewing for, and matching to an otolaryngology residency. The commonly held perceptions of applicants are compared to perspectives held by residency program directors and resident selection committees. Unintended consequences of the growing trend for medical students to add a research year to their curriculum are presented. Some cautions and suggestions about how to improve the application and selection process are offered.

Motivating medical students to do research: a mixed methods study using Self-Determination Theory

BACKGROUND

It is widely accepted that all medical graduates should understand the uses and methods of rigorous research, with a need to promote research to graduates who will pursue an academic career. This study aimed to explore, identify and explain what motivates and demotivates medical students to do research.

METHODS

A convergent parallel mixed methods study was conducted. Cross-sectional quantitative survey data (n = 579) and qualitative semi-structured interview findings (n = 23) data were separately collected and analysed. Informed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), quantitative and qualitative findings were integrated to develop a model for the factors associated with medical students' expressed motivation to do research, and related to clinical and research learning activities at different stages in an undergraduate medical program.

RESULTS

Only 7.5% of students had research experience prior to entering the program. Survey results revealed that students who had experienced exposure to the uncertainties of clinical practice through clerkships (Pre-Clinical (48%) vs Clinical Years (64%), p < 0.001), and a sense of achievement through supported compulsory research activities which were conducted as a team (Pre- Community Research (51%) vs Post-Community Research (66%), p < 0.001), were more likely to view future research activities positively. When integrated with qualitative findings using the three SDT domains of autonomy, competence and relatedness, eight major themes were identified: Self & Time, Career, Bureaucracy, Financial, Confidence, Clinical Relevance, Research as a Social Activity, and Personal Relevance. The findings suggest that motivation to do research is associated with increasing internalization of intrinsic motivators; in particular those associated with competence (Confidence) and relatedness (Clinical Relevance, Research as a Social Activity).

CONCLUSIONS

SDT is useful for understanding the motivation of individuals and how curriculum can be designed to optimise motivation. Study findings suggest that well supported compulsory research activities that incorporate group learning and elements of choice may promote motivation to do research, and potentially, careers in research, even in a research naive student body.

Impact of Professional Student Mentored Research Fellowship on Medical Education and Academic Medicine Career Path

CONTEXT

This study explores the long-term impact of the Professional Student Mentored Research Fellowship (PSMRF) program at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine (UKCOM) on medical students' research productivity and career paths.

METHODS

Demographic characteristics, academic profiles, number of publications and residency placements from 2007 to 2012 were used to assess 119 PSMRF graduates against a comparison cohort of 898 UKCOM (non-PSMRF) students.

RESULTS

PSMRF students had higher MCAT scores at admission (31.5 ± 0.6 vs. 30.6 ± 0.2, p = 0.007) and achieved higher USMLE Step 1 scores (228 ± 4.2 vs. 223 ± 1.5, p = 0.03) than comparison group. PSMRF students were more likely to publish PubMed-indexed papers (36.7% vs. 17.9%, p < 0.0001), achieve AOA status (19.3% vs. 8.5%, p = 0.0002) and match to top 25 US News and World Report residency programs (23.4% vs. 12.1%, p = 0.008). A greater proportion of PSMRF fellows matched to top tier competitive specialties (23% vs. 14.2%, p = 0.07), however this difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The PSMRF program shows a significant increase in enrollment, as well as positive associations with indicators of success in medical school and subsequent quality of residency program.

Student scientific inquiry in the core curriculum

OBJECTIVE

To design and implement a required student-driven research program as a capstone experience in the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum.

DESIGN

A research proposal in the form of a competitive grant application was required for each of 65 fourth-year students in an inaugural PharmD class at Touro College of Pharmacy in New York. The focus of the proposals was on hypothesis-driven research in basic science, clinical research, health outcomes, and public health.

ASSESSMENT

Students' research proposals were graded using a standardized grading instrument. On a post-experience survey, most students rated the overall experience positively, indicating increased confidence in their research skills. About two-thirds of faculty members were satisfied with their students' performance, and the great majority thought the experience would be useful in the students' careers.

CONCLUSION

The capstone research project was a positive experience for fourth-year students.

Evaluation of a required senior research project in a doctor of pharmacy curriculum

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the dissemination of study findings and assess project preceptor attitudes towards a required senior research project in a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum.

METHODS

A survey was conducted to determine preceptors' perceptions of the value of a required pharmacy student research project and dissemination of research results.

RESULTS

One hundred fifteen project preceptors (92.0%) responded. Most preceptors agreed that the projects provided a valuable learning experience to the students (87.5%) and were of value to them professionally (82.1%) and to their institution (78.2%). Study findings were disseminated primarily through institutional forums (47.3%). A smaller percentage of projects were disseminated externally through presentations at professional meetings (23.7%, poster presentations; 4.0%, platform presentations), and peer-reviewed publications (5.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite a modest level of dissemination of project results through presentations at professional meetings and a low level of dissemination via published manuscripts, the majority of preceptors perceived a required student research project to be of value.