Assessment of Medical Students’ Attitudes Towards Research and Perceived Barriers

Authors

  • Alaa Althubaiti (1) Associate Professor, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences\King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Email: thubaitia@ksau-hs.edu.sa
  • Bashayer Al Muqbil (2) Medical student, College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Email: bashayeralmuqbil@hotmail.com
  • Doaa Al Buraikan (3) Medical student, College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Email: doaaburaikan@gmail.com

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2017.28

Keywords:

research, medical students, attitude, perception

Abstract

Background: Health research has been integrated as part of the curriculum of many health sciences teaching universities. The aim of this study is to measure the attitude of medical students towards research.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted from March to May 2016 using the Student Attitude Towards Research (SAR) scale. The survey was distributed amongst undergraduate medical students at the College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdul-Aziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Main outcome measure was score on attitude scale with 15 Likert-type statements.

Results: A total of 237 responses were collected from the students (55.6% males and 44.3% females). In general, students agreed that ‘research is important for identifying and investing problems in a subject matter’ (N=206, 86.9%). Female students showed significantly more positive attitude towards research (P<0.05). In regards to the degree of involvement of the faculty in the research program, 35% of students agreed that it was acceptable, and 48.1% agreed that the faculty members have adequate skills to handle research methodology.

Conclusion: Most of the surveyed students were aware of the importance of undertaking medical research, but their attitude to the field was not always positive. There is an urgent need to introduce research programs as a part of the curriculum of all medical colleges, and ensure that these programs meet their goals and continue to be improved by providing good infrastructural facilities in order to provide skillful physicians to support research related activities.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Nass S J, Levit L A. The value, importance, and oversight of health research. Beyond the HIPAA Privacy Rule: Enhancing Privacy, Improving Health Through Research. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Health Research and the Privacy of Health Information: The HIPAA Privacy Rule; Nass SJ, Levit LA, Gostin LO, editors. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2009.

Hunskaar S, Breivik J, Siebke M, Tømmerås K, Figenschau K, & Hansen J-B. Evaluation of the medical student research programme in Norwegian medical schools. A survey of students and supervisors. BMC Medical Education. 2009; 9(1): 43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-9-43

Hren D, Lukić IK, Marusić A, Vodopivec I, Vujaklija A, Hrabak M, & Marusić M. Teaching research methodology in medical schools: students' attitudes towards and knowledge about science. Medical Education. 2004; 38(1): 81-86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2004.01735.x

Burgoyne LN, O'Flynn S, & Boylan GB. Undergraduate medical research: the student perspective. Medical Education Online. 2010; 15(0): 5212. http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/meo.v15i0.5212

Al-Hilali SM, Al-Kahtani E, Zaman B, Khandekar R, Al-Shahri A, & Edward DP. Attitudes of Saudi Arabian Undergraduate Medical Students towards Health Research. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal. 2016; 16(1): e68–73. Available at: http://doi.org/10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.012

Solomon SS, Tom SC, Pichert J, Wasserman D, & Powers AC. Impact of medical student research in the development of physician-scientists. Journal of Investigative Medicine. 2003; 51(3):149-156.

Jacobs CD, Cross PC. The value of medical student research: the experience at Stanford University School of Medicine. Medical Education. 1995; 29(5): 342-346. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.1995.tb00023.x

Fisher WR. Medical student research: a program of self-education. Journal of Medical Education. 1981; 56(11): 904-908.

Al-Kuwaiti AA. Health science students’ attitude towards research training programs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Reliability and validity of the questionnaire instrument. Journal of Family & Community Medicine. 2014; 21(2): 134–8. Available at: http://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8229.134775

Memarpour M, Fard AP, & Ghasemi R. Evaluation of attitude to, knowledge of and barriers toward research among medical science students. Asia Pacific Family Medicine. 2015; 14(1): 1–7. Available at: http://doi.org/10.1186/s12930-015-0019-2

Siemens DR, Punnen S, Wong J, & Kanji N. A survey on the attitudes towards research in medical school. BMC Medical Education. 2010; 10 (4). Available at: http://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-10-4

AlGhamdi KM, Moussa NA, AlEssa DS, AlOthimeen N, & Al-Saud AS. Perceptions, attitudes and practices toward research among senior medical students. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal. 2014; 22(2): 113–117. Available at: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2013.02.006

Kalén S, Stenfors-Hayes T, Hylin U, Larm MF, Hindbeck H, & Ponzer S. Mentoring medical students during clinical courses: a way to enhance professional development. Medical Teacher. 2010; 32(8): e315–e321. Available at: http://doi.org/10.3109/01421591003695295

Buddeberg-Fischer B, Herta KD. Formal mentoring programmes for medical students and doctors – A review of the Medline literature. Medical Teacher. 2006; 28: 248–257

Althubaiti A. Undergraduate Medical Research Programme: A Cross-Sectional Study of Students’ Satisfactions, Perceived Challenges, and Attitudes. Global Journal of Health Science. 2015; 7(5). Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v7n5p117

Wayne P, Hammerschlag R, German J, Chapman T. Attitudes and interests toward research among students at two colleges of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Explore (New York, NY). 2010;6(1):22-28. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2009.10.003.

De Oliveira NA, Luz MR, Saraiva RM, & Alves LA. Student views of research training programmes in medical schools. Medical Education. 2011; 45(7): 748–755.

Noorelahi MM, Soubhanneyaz AA, Kasim KA. Perceptions, barriers, and practices of medical research among students at Taibah College of Medicine, Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Advances in Medical Education and Practice. 2015;6:479-485. doi:10.2147/AMEP.S83978.

Griffin MF, Hindocha S. Publication practices of medical students at British medical schools: experience, attitudes and barriers to publish. Med Teach. 2011;33(1):e1–e8.

Alsayed N, Eldeek B, Tayeb S, Ayuob N, Al-Harbi A. Research practices and publication obstacles among interns at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2011–2012. J Egypt Public Health Assoc. 2012;87(3–4):64–70.

Giri PA, Bangal VB, Phalke DB. Knowledge, attitude and practices towards medical research amongst the postgraduate students of Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences University of Central India. J Fam Med Prim care. 2014;3(1):22–24.

Vujaklija A, Hren D, Sambunjak D, et al. Can teaching research methodology influence students’ attitude toward science? Cohort study and nonrandomized trial in a single medical school. J Investig Med. 2010;58(2):282–286.

Khamis N, Ibrahim R, Fetyani DM. Assessment of the research-oriented knowledge, attitude and practice of medical students and interns of the King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah and the adoption of a research-intervention educational program. RMJ. 2013;38(4):432–439.

Shahab F, Ali MA, Hussain H. Involvement and barriers to research amongst students of Khyber Medical College. J Postgrad Med Inst. 2013;27(3):297–302.

Althubaiti A. Information bias in health research: definition, pitfalls, and adjustment methods. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare. 2016;9:211-217. doi:10.2147/JMDH.S104807.

Tamim HM, Al-Kadri HM, Zamakhshary MF, Al-Alwan IA, Al-Moamary MS, Tamim RM, Al-Sayyari AA. Research as a requirement in a problem-based learning medical curriculum in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Medical Journal. 2012;33(11):1241–1243.

Published

2017-12-31

How to Cite

Althubaiti, A., Al Muqbil, B., & Al Buraikan, D. (2017). Assessment of Medical Students’ Attitudes Towards Research and Perceived Barriers. International Journal of Medical Students, 5(3), 95–98. https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2017.28

Issue

Section

Original Article

Categories

Similar Articles

<< < 1 2 3 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.