Providing Research Opportunities for Medical Students: Challenges and Opportunities

Duggan, Eileen; Doran, Kieran; O’Flynn, Siún; O’Tuathaigh, Colm M. P.

doi:10.1007/bf03341814

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The timing of this substantial project in year 4 is considered optimal, allowing students to both build on their research competencies, and also for career exploration, as it is just prior to the job application process in the UK. Any later, and students are more focussed on gaining clinical skills to be competent for their initial job post-graduation [25]. …”

Section: Description Of the Ssc Programmementioning

confidence: 99%

An integrated model for developing research skills in an undergraduate medical curriculum: appraisal of an approach using student selected components

Riley

Morton²,

Ray³

et al. 2013

Perspect Med Educ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Student selected components (SSCs), at that time termed special study modules, were arguably the most innovative element in Tomorrow’s Doctors (1993), the document from the General Medical Council that initiated the modernization of medical curricula in the UK. SSCs were proposed to make up one-third of the medical curriculum and provide students with choice, whilst allowing individual schools autonomy in how SSCs were utilized. In response, at the University of Edinburgh the undergraduate medical curriculum provides an integrated and sequential development and assessment of research skill learning outcomes, for all students in the SSC programme. The curriculum contains SSCs which provide choice to students in all 5 years. There are four substantial timetabled SSCs where students develop research skills in a topic and speciality of their choice. These SSCs are fully integrated and mapped with core learning outcomes and assessment, particularly with the ‘Evidence-Based Medicine and Research’ programme theme. These research skills are developed incrementally and applied fully in a research project in the fourth year. One-third of students also perform an optional intercalated one-year honours programme between years 2 and 3, usually across a wide range of honours schools at the biomedical science interface. Student feedback is insightful and demonstrates perceived attainment of research competencies. The establishment of these competencies is discussed in the context of enabling junior graduate doctors to be effective and confident at utilizing their research skills to effectively practice evidence-based medicine. This includes examining their own practice through clinical audit, developing an insight into the complexity of the evidence base and uncertainty, and also gaining a view into a career as a clinical academic.

show abstract

Section: Description Of the Ssc Programmementioning

confidence: 99%

An integrated model for developing research skills in an undergraduate medical curriculum: appraisal of an approach using student selected components

Riley

Morton²,

Ray³

et al. 2013

Perspect Med Educ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This may require a transition in emphasis in some medical curricula [31]. Facilitating and supporting non-laboratory medical research can also present additional inherent challenges for ethical reasons, supervision and governance [32]. It is possible that non-clinical academics would assign less importance to this competence, due to their frame of reference, than would clinical academics, but this was not specifically explored in the current research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tuning research competences for Bologna three cycles in medicine: report of a MEDINE2 European consensus survey

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Medical curricula, like healthcare systems and medical practice, have a strong cultural component and vary considerably between countries. Increasing mobility of medical graduates, and increasing pressure to ensure they are all fit for practice, have highlighted an urgent need to establish common ground in learning outcomes at all stages of training. A research-based approach, developed by the Tuning project, was used previously by the MEDINE Thematic Network to gain consensus on core learning outcomes/competences for primary medical degrees (www.tuning-medicine.com), but no consensus was reached for learning outcomes relating to research. As part of MEDINE2, a focussed Tuning project was undertaken to explore opinions on more detailed core learning outcomes in research for all three Bologna cycles (Bachelor, Master, and Doctor). Responses from 417 stakeholders, representing 29 European and 13 non-European countries, revealed a relatively high degree of consensus. The findings strongly suggest that these stakeholders think that learning outcomes related both to ‘using research’ and ‘doing research’ should be core components of medical curricula in Europe. The challenge now, however, is to promote further local and international discussion on these issues, and to find ways of achieving these competences within the context of already crowded medical curricula.

show abstract

“…At our institution, students work on longitudinal projects throughout the final 3 years (of a 5-year programme) of medical school, and are supervised by academic and/or clinical faculty. 7 The Medical students and faculty are working together to identify creative solutions to facilitate student research during the pandemic.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Adapting for sustainability: Ensuring provision of research skills development for undergraduate medical students

Haugh

O’Tuathaigh

2022

The Clinical Teacher

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic forced undergraduate medical students and staff to adapt and adjust to new strategies for conducting research. The aim of this study was to investigate its impact on student research opportunities across Irish and UK medical schools and how these programmes have responded, both in terms of innovation and practical solutions.Methods: A 17-item online mixed methods survey was distributed to academic staff across 31 Irish and UK medical schools. Participants were asked about (a) the effect of the pandemic on undergraduate research teaching and project opportunities, (b) measures taken to mitigate pandemic effects on these curricular elements.Descriptive analysis was used to summarise quantitative data, and free-text responses were thematically grouped. Findings: We received a 66.74% (n = 21) response rate to our survey. Over 75% of respondents stated that the availability of clinical research, lab-based research, summer research programmes and QI/clinical audit projects was negatively impacted by Covid-19. Mitigation strategies included adaptation and adjustment in design of research projects; migration to online content delivery and collaborative platforms; virtualisation of research dissemination opportunities; increased workload for staff involved in delivery of research programmes; flexibility around assessment of research-based assignments; and importance of open communication. Discussion and conclusions: Covid-19 has affected traditional clinical research opportunities for medical students, particularly patient-facing projects, as well as laboratory-based research options. Mitigation strategies included the introduction of time-and cost-efficient virtual data collection methods. Some of these innovations have potential for ongoing and future development, but others are short-term responsive solutions that may prove less sustainable. 1 | INTRODUCTION Across higher education, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced a prompt transition to online-based teaching, learning and assessment. 1 Infection control measures required most academic institutions to suspend traditional clinical research programmes, as well as restricting access to laboratory research environments. 2Research opportunities for medical students allow them to

show abstract

Providing Research Opportunities for Medical Students: Challenges and Opportunities

Cited by 9 publications

References 24 publications

An integrated model for developing research skills in an undergraduate medical curriculum: appraisal of an approach using student selected components

An integrated model for developing research skills in an undergraduate medical curriculum: appraisal of an approach using student selected components

Tuning research competences for Bologna three cycles in medicine: report of a MEDINE2 European consensus survey

Adapting for sustainability: Ensuring provision of research skills development for undergraduate medical students

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About