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 st...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Australian Journal of Rural Health Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 569 - 575
Autores principales: Fox, Jordan L., Cribb, Jacky, Cumming, Kaye, Martin, Priya
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Jun2023
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario: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%).