Undergraduate Medical Research Research Articles

Participation in a scientific pre-university program and medical students\u2019 interest in an academic career

BackgroundThe proportion of medical doctors involved in research activities is declining. Undergraduate medical research programs are positively associated with medical students’ research interest. Scientific pre-university programs (SPUPs) outside the medical domain are also positively associated with research interest, but have not been related to the shortage of clinician-scientists. This study examined the effect of an SPUP on medical students’ research interest.MethodsThis study was conducted at a Dutch medical school. Medical students in all years who had participated in an SPUP and first-year master students who had not participated in an SPUP were invited to fill out an online survey on extracurricular activities and future career interests. SPUP participants were compared with three groups of non-participants: (i) an unmatched group, (ii) a group matched on gender and pre-university Grade Point Average (pu-GPA) and (iii) a group matched on gender and first-year GPA, one to five years after finishing the SPUP. Participants evaluated the SPUP through ratings of statements about the program.ResultsTwo-hundred forty medical students, including 71 SPUP participants responded to the survey. SPUP participants participated significantly more often in the Honors class (i.e., extracurricular educational program for high-performing students), gained significantly more often extracurricular research experience, enrolled significantly more often in the Research master (i.e., research training program parallel to the clinical master program) and obtained significantly more often a scholarship than unmatched non-SPUP participants. Using a non-SPUP group matched on gender and pu-GPA reduced the effect size of the significant differences in Honors class participation, Research master participation and scholarship obtainment. Using a non-SPUP group matched on gender and first-year GPA rendered the significant difference in Research master participation and scholarship obtainment insignificant. Significantly more SPUP participants than unmatched non-SPUP participants preferred a combination of clinical care and research in their future career. Using a non-SPUP group matched on gender and either pu-GPA or first-year GPA did not change the effect size of this significant difference.ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate the potential value of an SPUP in increasing the number of medical students with research interest and as a policy measure to help to alleviate the shortage of clinician-scientists.

Who is responsible? An insight into the factors influencing the publication of undergraduate medical students' research projects

Who is responsible? An insight into the factors influencing the publication of undergraduate medical students' research projects

Elective Undergraduate Medical Research: A Medical Student Experience

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Undergraduate Medical Research Programme: A Cross-Sectional Study of Students' Satisfactions, Perceived Challenges, and Attitudes.

Background:Implementing an undergraduate Medical Research Programme (MRP) in medical colleges may not only improve the subsequent career of medical students but also benefit the health system in general. If not designed effectively, however, such a programme could have the opposite impact. Therefore, the quality of a MRP should be evaluated continuously. This study aims to evaluate the MRP from medical students’ perspective.Methods:A cross-sectional survey study was conducted from March to April 2014 amongst undergraduate medical students at the College of Medicine, King Saud University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Satisfaction, perceived challenges, and attitudes towards the MRP were evaluated.Results:A total of 154 responses were collected from the students; 81(52.6%) were in the 2nd year and 73 (47.4%) were in the 3rd year of the MRP, 97(63%) were males. The mean ± SD age was 21.5 ± 0.82 years. Overall, most students were satisfied with the MRP (51.3%). The majority of students were of the opinion that there was a shortage of time to complete their work (57.6%) and a lack of motivation to do research (53.3%). Significant differences were found in the satisfaction levels and perceived challenges between students in the 2nd and 3rd year of the MRP (P≤ .013).Discussion:Assessment of medical students’ perspective towards the MRP is an important aspect of the educative process. We recommend more evaluation studies, because they ensure that programmes effectively meet their goals and continue to be improved. A solid MRP is essential and will increase the university’s profile.

Challenges and opportunities for new medical schools in Africa: the Consortium of New Southern African Medical Schools (CONSAMS).

Background: Africa bears 24% of the world’s disease burden yet has available only 3% of global health care workers.1 The Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) has aimed to alleviate this health worker shortage by increasing training and infrastructure capacities at Sub-Saharan African medical schools. Financial awards totaling $130 million were made to 13 medical schools, most of which were established and with track records in graduating health workers. Very few newly opened medical schools—institutions that tend to suffer from limited funding, acute shortages of faculty, and insufficient facilities—were included in the MEPI initiative. Innovation: The Consortium of New Southern African Medical Schools (CONSAMS) was created in 2012 by five new medical schools in southern Africa that sought to support each other through the sharing of ideas, programs, faculty, and facilities: University of Namibia School of Medicine, Windhoek, Namibia; Copperbelt University School of Medicine, Ndola, Zambia; Lurio University School of Medicine, Nampula, Mozambique; University of Botswana School of Medicine, Botswana; and National University of Lesotho, Lesotho. Also included in the consortium were two established “Northern” medical schools—Vanderbilt University in the United States and Oulu University in Finland—which serve a guiding and facilitating role and have submitted grants to fund specific projects. MEPI provided a small grant to help support CONSAMS. The mission and major goal of CONSAMS was to promote a productive “interdependence” among new medical schools in Africa through the creation of “networks, alliances and consortia” as advocated in the landmark 2010 Lancet report.1 Outcomes: In just over two years, CONSAMS has created a highly supportive interdependent network with active working groups dealing with undergraduate medical education, postgraduate training, and research. Specific outcomes include the adoption by partner schools of Universidad Lurio’s One-Student-One-Family community health program, which pairs medical students with families living in rural communities to serve as their health advocates. There is also ongoing development of accreditation standards that includes curriculum reviews and a system of external examiners between partner schools; implementation of pedagogical methods appropriate to the contexts of each school (driven from Oulu University); development of interprofessional training programs, specifically at the medical schools of Namibia and Universidad Lurio; and ongoing discussions on the structure of postgraduate training programs and recruitment of clinical faculty for these programs. The two northern partners have assisted in recruiting faculty, providing seed funding, and applying for grants. Comment: New medical schools have the capacity to be more agile and adaptive to change than their established counterparts.1 But new medical schools in southern Africa also face daunting challenges primarily due to resource constraints. Working together through networks, alliances, and consortia such as CONSAMS is an approach that can strengthen medical education capabilities in resource-constrained areas.

Predicting supervisor capacities to foster higher forms of learning through undergraduate medical student research

The credibility of short-term undergraduate research as a paradigm for effective learning within Medicine has been recognized. With a view to strengthening this paradigm and enhancing research-teaching linkages, this study explores whether particular types of research supervisor are pre-disposed to providing supportive learning environments. Correspondingly, a novel solution is offered to addressing clinical governance concerns about failings in preparing students for a supercomplex world. While recommendations for addressing these concerns have previously focused on curriculum delivery and assessment, this study affords a fresh perspective through consideration of research supervisor attributes, behaviours and experiences. Using statistical analyses of response data from a large cohort of experienced research supervisors who completed an online survey, evidence is found to suggest that staff involvement in personal research ought to enhance student learning through research. In turn, the supervisor factors which are most supportive of this effect may vary according to how we measure higher forms of learning. Supervisors are advised to design successive follow-on research projects to facilitate cross-disciplinary research. In preparing medical graduates for survival in a super-complex world, more needs to be done, however, to investigate why supervisors who see their students more regularly are more likely to provide cross-disciplinary research opportunities. By contrast, potential to engage in risk-taking behaviours and maintain or progress to an advanced stage of learning may originate more precisely with the student.

An Insight into the Undergraduate Medical Research in India

Relevant health research has contributed to the increase of life expectancy in India over past 60years and is essential to investigate health problems and to implement solutions. Recognizing the importance of research, few medical colleges in developed countries has initiated student research programmes. In India, Undergraduate medical research is far from satisfactory and is worsened with mushrooming of large number of ill equipped medical colleges. This fact is proved by a study which reports that the 70% of medical students expressed the unawareness about research. Though there are few student research programmes in India awareness to them is required. We aim to address significance of undergraduate medical research. Research projects can help the students to develop critical analysis, thinking and also enhances their skills in searching literature and independent writing. Students should recognize the role of medical research in their practice. Undergraduate students are encouraged to take up short term projects. Research projects should be considered in post graduate examination like in abroad and funding should be allotted for undergraduate student research. In conclusion there is a need to emphasise the importance of research among the undergraduate medical students and also encouragement and proper guidance should be made available to the students.

Assessing Research Competency in a Medical School Environment

The goals of undergraduate medical student research experiences are extremely variable. A uniform tool to assess experiences that link expected competencies to performance is not available. Competencies for students participating in research, aligned with ACGME core competencies, were delineated and an assessment tool was constructed to provide feedback to students. Competencies include Medical Knowledge, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, and Professionalism. An overall assessment rating is derived and longitudinal assessment of students is possible.

Research-Teaching Linkages: Beyond the Divide in Undergraduate Medicine

This survey-based study investigates the plausibility of the existence of a research-teaching nexus specifically within the context of supervised senior undergraduate medical student research. This particular nexus is defined in terms of benefits to teaching arising a) directly, through the supervisor designing the research environment as a pedagogical tool to enhance student learning and b) indirectly, through curriculum revisions arising from student research. Informed by the writings of Marcia B. Baxter Magolda and Ron Barnett, survey questions were designed to measure evidence for higher forms of learning and preparation for a supercomplex world. Supervisors were also invited to reflect on curriculum re-design as a product of student research. The study findings confirm the potential of supervised student research as an effective pedagogical tool in medical education. Nevertheless, there is scope for developing a more cohesive research-teaching nexus through improving supervisor training to provide the necessary rationale for mainstreaming student research.

Knowledge, attitudes and barriers related to participation of medical students in research in three Arab Universities

Background: Exposure to training in research is essential in the medical curriculum. There have been previous studies which attempted to evaluate the knowledge regarding, and attitude towards medical research in undergraduate medical students in various countries. In this study we attempted to assess the research related knowledge and attitudes across three Arab Universities namely King Faisal University (Saudi Arabia), Arab Gulf University (Bahrain) and Kuwait University (Kuwait). Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was employed in which all medical students' form 3 rd onwards was targeted for inclusion. Anonymous self administered pilot tested questionnaire were used for data collection to assess the students' knowledge related to, attitude towards and perceived barriers to scientific research. The attitude and knowledge scores were correlated with other variables e.g. year of study, schooling background and admission score. Results: A total of 423 completed responses were received. The knowledge score was on the lower side- mean of 3.6±1.7 on 10 questions; meanwhile the majority of the students had a positive attitude towards scientific research. Many perceived barriers were highlighted by the students such as a shortage of time and a lack of adequate mentoring . Conclusions: The study showed a moderately high attitude score towards research, but coupled with a low knowledge score. This could be related to various perceived barriers to undergraduate research. These barriers need to be addressed and also integration of research into the undergraduate curriculum is needed to ensure an improvement in the quality and quantity of undergraduate medical research.

An insight into the undergraduate medical research in India

An insight into the undergraduate medical research in India

Survey of teaching, research and conference experiences of paediatric surgical trainees in Nigeria

To determine the teaching methods used by residents in paediatric surgery in Nigeria and their exposure to research and conferences. A structured questionnaire was administered to trainees in paediatric surgery in Nigeria seeking information regarding different teaching methods used, frequency of use, involvement in research and participation in conferences. There were 11 respondents (91.6%) of 12 questionnaires that were distributed. All of them were training in accredited teaching hospitals in Nigeria. All of them had been involved in teaching medical students. Ten residents were involved in teaching in wards/bedside two times or more in a week and all were involved in teaching at the clinics. Only one resident used audiovisual aid at least once a week to teach students. Eight trainees used tutorial or seminar group discussion as a teaching tool once a week. Four trainees had not used written essay as a way of teaching students while five had never given students lectures in a classroom before. All the respondents had participated in retrospective research while nine had been involved in prospective research. Nine residents had attended conferences nationally while two had attended international conferences. Six trainees presented a paper or more at national conferences while one presented at an international conference. Trainees in paediatric surgery in Nigeria are significantly involved in the teaching of undergraduate medical students and clinical research. This should be encouraged and further enhanced by motivating the trainees to attend international conferences.

Undergraduate medical research: the student perspective

Background:#All authors contributed equally to this work.Research training is essential in a modern undergraduate medical curriculum. Our evaluation aimed to (a) gauge students’ awareness of research activities, (b) compare students’ perceptions of their transferable and research-specific skills competencies, (c) determine students’ motivation for research and (d) obtain students’ personal views on doing research.Methods: Undergraduate medical students (N=317) completed a research skills questionnaire developed by the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Applied Undergraduate Research Skills (CETL-AURS) at Reading University. The questionnaire assessed students’ transferable skills, research-specific skills (e.g., study design, data collection and data analysis), research experience and attitude and motivation towards doing research.Results: The majority of students are motivated to pursue research. Graduate entrants and male students appear to be the most confident regarding their research skills competencies. Although all students recognise the role of research in medical practice, many are unaware of the medical research activities or successes within their university. Of those who report no interest in a career incorporating research, a common perception was that researchers are isolated from patients and clinical practice.Discussion: Students have a narrow definition of research and what it entails. An explanation for why research competence does not align more closely with research motivation is derived from students’ lack of understanding of the concept of translational research, as well as a lack of awareness of the research activity being undertaken by their teachers and mentors. We plan to address this with specific research awareness initiatives.

Difficulties in undergraduate medical research

Difficulties in undergraduate medical research

ACE (ALLIANCE FOR CLINICAL EDUCATION) ABSTRACTS: Proceedings of the 2006 Annual Predoctoral Meeting of the Society for Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM)

The Society for Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM; www.stfm.org) is a community of professionals devoted to teaching family medicine through undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education. This multidisciplinary group of physicians, educators, behavioral scientists, and researchers works together to further the mission of improving the health of all people through education, research, patient care, and advocacy. STFM holds an Annual Conference each spring and a Predoctoral Education Conference each winter. STFM held its 32nd annual Predoctoral Education Conference in Charleston, South Carolina, from February 2nd to February 5th, 2006. David Irby, PhD, Vice Dean at University of California at San Francisco and a senior scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, discussed challenges and solutions facing contemporary medical education. Mark Quirk, EdD, from the University of Massachusetts, promoted a new approach to medical education in which learning is not a body of knowledge but rather the ability to learn or generate new knowledge. Caryl Heaton, DO, from the New Jersey Medical School, combined Zen and Broadway to inspire attendees to strive for changes in teaching and practice. Participants shared ideas and learned new skills attending over 60 workshops, seminars, and discussions, as well as 35 education research and evaluation papers. Common themes included clinical skills, community medicine, technology in medical education, preceptor development, and learner and program evaluation. A subcommittee of the STFM Education Committee selected eight completed undergraduate medical educational research or curriculum evaluation papers that we felt would be of interest to readers of Teaching and Learning in Medicine. Also presented at this conference and published: Chumley H, Dobbie A, Delzell J. Case-based exercises fail to improve medical students' information management skills: A controlled trial. BioMed Central Medical Education 2006;6:14.

Abstracts from the Proceedings of the 2005 Annual Predoctoral Meeting of the Society for Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM)

The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM; www.stfm.org) is a community of physicians, educators, behavioral scientists, and researchers devoted to teaching family medicine through undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education, with the mission of improving the health of all people through education, research, patient care, and advocacy. STFM holds an Annual Conference each spring and a Predoctoral Education Conference each winter.STFM held its 31st Annual Predoctoral Education Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from January 27 to January 30, 2005. Plenary speakers included Robert Graham, MD; Patricia Carney, PhD; and Lori Alvord, MD (author of the Scalpel and the Silver Bear) with Thomas Hatathli, a Native American traditional healer. Participants shared ideas and learned new skills attending over 70 workshops, seminars, and discussions, and 40 educational research and evaluation-paper presentations. Common themes included professionalism, community medicine, cultural competency, and learner and program evaluation.A subcommittee of the STFM Education Committee selected the best completed undergraduate medical educational research or curriculum evaluation papers for inclusion in the Proceedings. Also selected for inclusion in Proceedings are 2 papers now in press in Family Medicine: DeHaven MJ and Chen LL. "Teaching Medical Students Research While Reaching the Underserved" and Alper B and Vinson D. "Experiential Curriculum Improves Medical Students' Ability to Answer Clinical Questions Using the Internet."

The burden of the rheumatic diseases in the general adult population of Greece: the ESORDIG study

To estimate the burden of rheumatic diseases in terms of disability and health-care utilization in the Greek general adult population. The study was conducted on the total adult population of seven communities (8547 subjects), as well as on 2100 out of 5686 randomly selected subjects in an additional two communities. Rheumatologists visited the participants at their homes to assess the prevalence of six morbidity indicators concerning disability and health-care utilization associated with rheumatic diseases or other major disease groups. The participation rate in the study was 82.1%. The prevalence of chronic health problems, long-term disability, short-term disability, physician office visits and prescription or non-prescription drug use due to rheumatic diseases in the total target adult population was 14.3, 4.3, 2.9, 2.8, 7.2 and 2.0%, respectively. Compared with all other major disease groups, rheumatic diseases were the most common cause of chronic health problems (38.7%), long-term disability (47.2%), short-term disability (26.2%) and physician office visits (20.5%), while they ranked second for the use of prescription (24.0%) or non-prescription drugs (17.7%). Rheumatic diseases were the main cause of morbidity in five out of six indicators in subjects aged < or =65 yr. Logistic regression analysis revealed an association of female gender, age > or =45 yr and obesity with almost all morbidity indicators related to rheumatic diseases. These findings suggest that rheumatic diseases constitute a major public health problem and should be considered in planning undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, research and health-care services.

Effect of particle size on the prolonged action of subcutaneous danazol in male and female rats

Objective: To investigate the effects of two different particle sizes of danazol in male and female rats. Design: Prospective, vehicle-controlled study. Setting: Undergraduate college research facility and medical research laboratory. Animals: 18 castrated male rats and 18 cycling female rats. Intervention(s): Preparations of danazol with particle sizes of 2.05 μm or 5.2 μm were administered as a single subcutaneous injection of 400 mg/kg to castrated male rats or estrus-cycling females. Main Outcome Measure(s): Serum LH level in males and estrous cycle length in females. Result(s): In males, both preparations significantly ( P<.001) suppressed serum LH by day 5 of treatment. Gonadotropin levels remained low throughout the 35-day study in rats that received the larger-particle danazol, whereas LH levels began to increase after 25 days in rats that received smaller-particle danazol. In females, the normal 4- to 5-day estrous cycle interval was prolonged to 38.7 days ( P<.001) in those that received the larger-particle danazol and 25.5 days in those that received the smaller-particle danazol. Conclusions(s): The results demonstrate the prolonged effectiveness of a single subcutaneous dose of danazol and indicate that one might be able to predict the effective duration of activity by changing the particle size of the danazol administered.

May you live in interesting times. Academic medical centers, academic societies, and the coming dominance of government and business in American medicine.

The coming changes in the organization and financing of medicine will lead to dominance of government and business in the American health care system. These changes will have a profound effect on academic medical centers (AMCs). To compete for managed care contracts and maintain their patient bases, AMCs will have to compete with private providers on cost, something they are ill-equipped to do because of their high cost structures. The AMCs are likely to have lower patient care revenues and alter the makeup of their faculties to reduce the number of specialists and increase the number of primary care physicians. Undergraduate and graduate medical education and research are also likely to suffer adverse consequences as a result of these changes. With the number of specialist residency positions decreased, it will be difficult for faculty to replace residents with physicians' assistants or nurse clinicians. Faculty may have to devote more time to patient care, and research and education may suffer. The decreased revenues of AMCs will affect the Surgical Infection Society and other academic societies. Society members may limit the number of societies to which they belong as their incomes or those of their departments are threatened.

Teaching and research in hospitals: implications for the NHS reforms

In this paper the implications of the support of undergraduate medical education and research for the new NHS market are examined. Inaccuracies in current methods of distribution of the Service Increment for Teaching and Research (SIFTR) and Additional Cost of Teaching and Research (ACTR) monies will have adverse effects. Receipt of too much money results in providers' care being unfairly subsidised while receipt of too little results in providers bearing an unfair burden of the cost of teaching and research. Results are reported from a study in the north east of Scotland with regard to the feasibility of obtaining more accurate estimates of the costs to the NHS of supporting teaching and research. The choice is between potentially accurate, but cumbersome and costly, systems of data collection or the continuation of the current, more arbitrary, approach of allocating monies. A combination of the two is recommended.