Medical student interest and participation in research at one rural clinical school: Insights from the last six years

Medical student interest and participation in research at one rural clinical school: Insights from the last six years

Introduction
Limited evidence is currently available relating to research acitivity of medical students training in regional or rural areas.

Objective
To describe medical student interest and participation in research at The University of Queensland Rural Clinical School (UQRCS).

Design
Annual student expression of interest surveys were collated with records of student research participation maintained at UQRCS from 2017-2022. Additionally, a systematic search was conducted to identify student outputs not captured in internal records. Frequencies and proportions were calculated for all descriptive data along with proportions of students who engaged with a project, and projects that led to a peer-reviewed publication.

Findings
At UQRCS commencement, 55% of research-interested students reported having basic research skills. Thirty-nine percent of research-interested students engaged with a project, most commonly literature reviews (47%) or audits (29%). Thirty-three percent of completed projects led to a peer-reviewed manuscript.

Discussion
Students who engage with a project are unlikely to receive a project in their preferred clinical area and should be informed about the transferrability of research skills. Most students have basic research skills when commencing a project and therefore require ongoing support and mentorship from staff/supervisors.

Conclusion
Publication rates of medical students in regional/rural areas are comparable to those reported by metropolitan medical schools (~30%).