Perception, attitude, practice and barriers towards medical research among undergraduate students

BACKGROUND: Early exposure to medical research, specifically at the undergraduate level, contributes in building a solid medical education for students. In 2014, the Medical Research Volunteer Program (MRVP) was established at the American University of Beirut (AUB). This program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to be involved in ongoing medical research projects, on a voluntary basis. Little is known about undergraduates’ outlook on medical research and the challenges they face. The aim of this study was to assess, among AUB undergraduate students, the perception, attitude, practice and barriers towards medical research, as well as to identify factors affecting them, such as background characteristics and research involvement. METHODS: A cross sectional study was carried out at AUB, where undergraduate students enrolled in specific chosen classes were surveyed in spring 2019 via paper based questionnaires. Close-ended questions assessed students’ attitude, perception, practice and barriers towards medical research using a 5-point likert scale. Moreover, demographic characteristics and research involvement information were collected. RESULTS: Five hundred and twenty three students were surveyed. About half of the students were premedical students (51.5%), and only 43.6% of them were aware of the medical research program at their university. The average attitude, perception, practice and barriers scores were found to be 3.58, 4.35, 3.58 and 2.60, respectively (on a scale from 1 to 5). Students found the lack of mentoring and guidance to be the main barrier in conducting medical research. CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal that students express interest towards medical research and recognize its importance. A medical research program at the undergraduate level is indispensable in guiding students in their future career endeavors. Therefore, research programs should be constantly monitored to assure a research-oriented environment within institutions.