Medical Students’ Confidence in Their Abilities and Barriers to Conducting Research: A Mixed-Methods Study

Background Medical students’ confidence in their ability to conduct research has been speculated to be a significant factor influencing the engagement of research, yet their confidence may remain low. Moreover, it is unclear what barriers exist to high engagement in research before graduation. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate medical students’ attitudes, confidence, and perceived barriers regarding conducting research. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted using quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate medical students’ attitudes, confidence, and perceived barriers regarding doing research. Quantitative data were collected from 141 first-year medical students via an online questionnaire in September 2020 asking about their perceptions toward participating in research while in school. Linear regression was performed to determine if certain perceptions and self-reported abilities would significantly contribute to research confidence. Additionally, focus groups were conducted with 30 students to assess student perceptions toward engaging in research. For qualitative data, an inductive thematic analysis was performed to allow for the patterns, themes, and categories to emerge. Results Regression modeling successfully explained 71% of the variance in predicting research confidence [F(3,137) = 116.91, p < 0.01] with an R(2) of 0.719 (adjusted R(2) = 0.713). Feeling secure in one’s research knowledge, greater belief in the ability to conduct research, and feeling research was important for their future career significantly contributed to greater research confidence. Five themes related to student attitudes and perceived barriers to conducting research in medical school emerged from the qualitative interviews. Conclusions Findings from this study may help medical educators better understand which attitudes are prevalent among medical students that may influence their confidence and ultimately affect their engagement in research during preclinical training. Unblocking barriers to research engagement and incorporating curricular strategies to help students gain practical experience and confidence in their research abilities may be warranted.