Aptitude for Research Among Medical Students in India: Identifying the Challenges.

Introduction Understanding the reasons behind the undervaluation of research among undergraduate medical students in India is crucial for advancing medical knowledge. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the knowledge, interest, and barriers faced by 606 Indian medical students through an online questionnaire distributed via social media platforms. Aims To identify the knowledge of research and the challenges faced by medical students to pursue research in their undergraduate education. Methods and material This was a prospective observational study carried out over a period of one month in October 2022. Study approval was taken from the Genebandhu Independent Ethics Committee (Reference Number- ECG004/2022). The responses obtained from the questionnaire were recorded in Google Sheets and transferred to Microsoft Excel (Redmond, WA, USA). Results Among the participants, 46.53% were male and 53.47% were female, primarily from the first (11.39%) and second (9.90%) years of their medical education. Notably, the majority had undertaken United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) (54.95%), followed by National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Postgraduate) (NEET-PG) (34.65%) and Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) (7.92%). The study revealed that 78.22% considered research pivotal to their academic trajectory, with a mean age of 23.14 years (SD=2.82) and an average research knowledge score of 2.75 (SD=1.31). The type of postgraduate exam significantly influenced enthusiasm for research activities (p<0.001), with higher enthusiasm among those preparing for exams abroad. Nonetheless, the type of medical college did not significantly affect interest in research activities (p=0.4879). Conclusion Addressing the undervaluation of research among undergraduate medical students in India is imperative. The curriculum should integrate robust support mechanisms to nurture research skills, emphasizing its importance for future medical practitioners. This could involve seminars, courses, and interactive sessions aimed at fostering research acumen among students.

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Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Genebandhu Independent Ethics Committee issued approval ECG004/2022. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.