The impact of medical student research as a discussion topic during the residency interview process

Background Students with a greater number of research experiences are more successful in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP.) As a result, approximately two-thirds of allopathic medical schools have implemented a scholarly research project (SP) as a part of their curriculum. While inclusion of an SP in the medical school curriculum increases research productivity, literature to date has not investigated the frequency with which it is a discussion topic during residency interviews. Methods One hundred twenty-three students from the graduating class of 2019 and 2020 at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix (UACOMP) completed a 17-question survey examining the student’s SP and whether they completed additional research, with an overall response rate of 82.6%. Survey participants were asked to quantify how many residency interviewers asked about their SP or additional research during the interview process. Results Twenty-seven percent of interviewers asked students about their SP and 41% of interviewers asked students about additional non-SP research. 40% of interviewers asked about research overall to include SP and/or non-SP research. A greater percentage of interviewers (50%) asked students about their SP if they had undertaken additional research compared to interviewers of students who did not undertake additional research (29%, p = 0.0237). A greater percentage of interviewers at academic institutions (31%) asked students about their SP, compared with a smaller percentage of interviewers at predominantly non-academic programs (22%, p = 0.0054). There were no significant differences in the proportion of interviewers asking about the SP based on the type of specialty, competitiveness of specialty, relatedness project topic to specialty, and publication/presentation status of project. Conclusion Student research experiences may serve as a frequent discussion topic during the residency interview. Approximately one-quarter of interviewers ask about the SP regardless of specialty, research topic, and publication/presentation status of the project. Students with additional research experiences beyond their SP may experience a higher percentage of interviewers asking about their SP. Also, students applying to predominantly academic programs may experience a higher proportion of interview questions about research compared to peers interviewing at non-academic programs.

Patient Perspectives of Rural Kansas Maternity Care

Introduction. Pregnant women in rural areas face a unique set of challenges due to geographic maldistribution of obstetric services. The perspectives of rural Kansas women were sought regarding experience of birth and satisfaction with maternity care. Methods. Medical student research assistants facilitated discussion groups in rural Kansas communities with women who had given birth in the last 24 months. Guiding questions were used to facilitate discussion. Survey instruments were used to gather information about satisfaction with maternity care. Data for qualitative and quantitative analysis was aggregated using Rural Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes. Results. 14 groups with 47 total participants completed the survey and discussion. Participants were representative of a variety of Large Rural, Small Rural, and Isolated areas in Kansas as described by RUCA Code Four Category Classification. Survey results indicate that satisfaction with maternity care in participants’ home county was significantly higher in Small Rural and Isolated compared to Large Rural RUCA. Qualitative analysis results show positive experiences related to: doctor characteristics, relationship with doctor, doctor’s involvement with care, alternative labor options, and distance convenience. Negative experiences were related to: doctor bedside manner, doctor not there until delivery, and staff related complaints. Conclusions. Women in Small Rural and Isolated RUCA codes appear to be more satisfied with care contrary to previous study findings.

Conference Proceedings of the 2020-2021 John B. Graham Student Research Symposium

Established in 1987, the John B. Graham Medical Student Research Society recognizes and promotes the research efforts of the medical student body at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in basic science, public health, and clinical sciences. Throughout the year, members exchange ideas and share their experiences about conducting research. In addition, the Society serves to encourage collaboration with faculty to promote productive research opportunities for students. The following conference proceedings represent abstracts accepted for presentation at the 2020-2021 Student Research Day.

The experiences, attitudes and understanding of research amongst medical students at an Australian medical school

Background Research engagement plays an integral role in developing clinicians that practice effective, evidence-based medicine. Research participation by clinicians, however, is declining. Given the link between research during medical school and future research output, promotion of medical student research is one avenue by which this shortage can be addressed. Student research attitudes and participation in Australia are not well-documented in the literature. This study therefore aims to investigate research practices, motivators, and barriers amongst Australian medical students in order to determine whether there is a need for further integration of research within Australian medical school curriculums. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used to explore research experience and attitudes, as well as the enablers and barriers to research amongst students enrolled in all years of the five-year medical course at Monash University. A questionnaire was created by combining questions from several surveys on medical student research and comprised Likert scales, multiple choice options and free-text responses assessing research experience, attitudes, motivators, and barriers. Results Seven hundred and four respondents (69.4% female; survey response rate 36.7%) reported variable research experience and interest. Less than half of the cohort (n = 296; 44.9%) had contributed to a research project. Increasing employability for specialty training programs was the primary motivating factor (n = 345; 51.9%) for pursuing research, with only 20.5% (n = 136) citing an interest in academia as a motivator. Time constraints (n = 460; 65.3%) and uncertainty surrounding how to find research opportunities (n = 449; 63.8%) were the most common barriers to research. Conclusions Medical students at Monash University are interested in but have limited experience with research. Students are, however, primarily motivated by the prospect of increasing employability for specialist training; medical schools should therefore focus on encouraging intrinsic motivation for pursuing research. Greater integration of research education and opportunities within medical school curricula may also be required to provide students with the skills necessary to both pursue research and practice evidence-based medicine.