Low-cost peer-taught virtual research workshops for medical students in Pakistan: a creative, scalable, and sustainable solution for student research

Ukrani, Ronika Devi; Shaikh, Ayesha Niaz; Martins, Russell Seth; Fatima, Syeda Sadia; Naseem, Hamna Amir; Baig, Mishall Ahmed

doi:10.1186/s12909-021-02996-y

Cited by 9 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…There is a need for support for further scale-up of existing mentorship initiatives, and establishing models to individualize mentorship training 8,38,58 . Having a virtual platform is a cost-effective method for mentorship training 26,27,41,57,82 . A returnee integration plan is important for early-career trainees in their home country after they have completed study outside their home country 76 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health research mentorship in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

Kaba,

Birhanu,

Fernandez

et al. 2023

JBI Evidence Synthesis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: The objective of this scoping review was to explore and synthesize the available literature on health research mentorship in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Introduction: Research mentorship is broadly considered a useful strategy to improve research capacities and research outputs. Existing literature and guidance on research mentorship have focused on high-income countries and assumed resource-rich environments. Despite the successful endeavors to improve health research capacity in LMICs, the strategies that work best under different circumstances are poorly understood. There is a need to map and understand the evidence on health research mentorship in the context of LMICs. Inclusion criteria: Sources that reported existing practices, barriers, and mitigation strategies related to health research mentorship in LMICs were included. Methods: We searched for published and unpublished studies and reports written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. The search strategy was not limited by search dates and the last search was conducted on January 28, 2022. The databases searched included MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and JBI Evidence Synthesis. We also searched for gray literature in a selection of websites and digital repositories. The JBI scoping review methodology was used. Results: A total of 77 studies and reports were included in the review. The majority of the papers were from Africa (n=28). Others were from Americas (n=7), South East Asia (n=4), East Mediterranean (n=2), and Western Pacific (n=2). The remaining studies were from LMICs that included at least two regional offices. Most of the mentorship projects (n=55) were initiated and funded by institutions from high-income countries. The first authors of 41 papers were primarily affiliated from LMICs. The findings were categorized under a description of research mentorship practices, barriers related to research mentorship, and suggested mitigation strategies. Deliverable-driven training using intensive hands-on mentorship and ongoing peer mentorship programs were some of the non-regular, non-institutionalized approaches used to improve research capacity for junior researchers in LMICs. None of the included papers focused on institutional components of research mentorship in LMICs. The barriers to research mentorship activities in LMICs included lack of clarity on mentorship, cultural variations, unbalanced power dynamics, socio-political influences, language barriers, lack of experienced mentors, and limited local funding. Institutionalizing research mentorship, adapting mentoring methodologies relying on local resources, and addressing and respecting diversity in mentorship programs were among the main strategies identified to effectively implement research mentorship in LMICs. Conclusions: Research mentorship initiatives and practices are limited in LMICs. Few available practices are introduced by researchers and research institutions from high-income countries and yet not institutionalized. The identified existing practices, barriers, and facilitators on health research mentorship could help the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs to institutionalize health research mentorship in LMICs. Review Registration Number: Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/jqa9z/

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health research mentorship in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

Kaba,

Birhanu,

Fernandez

et al. 2023

JBI Evidence Synthesis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…During the COVID-19 pandemic, workshops were adapted for online delivery, including provision of routers/internet access for all students in need. While there are challenges, both practical and methodological, in running workshops online, the workshops were well received and less costly [ 27 , 28 ]. We were not able to offer experimental lab workshop but we introduced two new workshops; ‘Bioentrepreneurship: Small Molecule Therapeutic and Diagnostic Development’ and ‘Scientific Diplomacy’.…”

Section: Discussion and Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Workshop-based learning and networking: a scalable model for research capacity strengthening in low- and middle-income countries

Perier

Nasinghe

Charles

et al. 2022

Global Health Action

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Science education and research have the potential to drive profound change in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through encouraging innovation, attracting industry, and creating job opportunities. However, in LMICs, research capacity is often limited, and acquisition of funding and access to state-of-the-art technologies is challenging. The Alliance for Global Health and Science (the Alliance) was founded as a partnership between the University of California, Berkeley (USA) and Makerere University (Uganda), with the goal of strengthening Makerere University’s capacity for bioscience research. The flagship program of the Alliance partnership is the MU/UCB Biosciences Training Program, an in-country, hands-on workshop model that trains a large number of students from Makerere University in infectious disease and molecular biology research. This approach nucleates training of larger and more diverse groups of students, development of mentoring and bi-directional research partnerships, and support of the local economy. Here, we describe the project, its conception, implementation, challenges, and outcomes of bioscience research workshops. We aim to provide a blueprint for workshop implementation, and create a valuable resource for bioscience research capacity strengthening in LMICs.

show abstract

“…[ 8 21 22 23 ] A recent study also stated that peer research teaching among medical students delivered online is beneficial and cost-effective. [ 24 ]…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benefits and challenges of fostering research-focused communities of practice at a specialised health sciences university: An exploratory study

Al-Nasser

Masuadi

Salaad

et al. 2022

Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction: Structured undergraduate research, whether mandatory or elective, provides undergraduate students with a unique opportunity to develop their research skills. However, the majority of the students undertake individual research projects rather than working in a group. This study explores the perceived benefits and challenges of fostering research focused communities of practice at a specialised health sciences university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee at the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC). A self-administered questionnaire was developed that assessed the perceived benefits and challenges of doing research in groups. Data were collected using a mixture of a dichotomous and a 5-point Likert scale and were analysed using Statistical Program for Social Scientists (SPSS). Results: Of the 380 medical students invited to participate in this study, 307 completed the questionnaire, with a response rate of 80.7%. The majority of the medical students (87%) agreed on the importance of teamwork in conducting medical research. Almost all medical students (96%) believed patience and tolerance were required to make the team successful. Significant differences were found between junior and senior medical students regarding their perceived benefits (P-value = 0.0001) and challenges (P-value = 0.0007). Conclusion: Although most of the students believed that doing research in groups is essential and that working within such groups enhances their research knowledge, forming these research groups was not without problems. The need for patience and tolerance to keep the group together, the issue of free-riders and the difficulties related to which research group to join were some of the challenges students encountered.

show abstract

Low-cost peer-taught virtual research workshops for medical students in Pakistan: a creative, scalable, and sustainable solution for student research

Cited by 9 publications

References 28 publications

Health research mentorship in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

Health research mentorship in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

Workshop-based learning and networking: a scalable model for research capacity strengthening in low- and middle-income countries

Benefits and challenges of fostering research-focused communities of practice at a specialised health sciences university: An exploratory study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About