Research experiences for Canadian aspiring physicians: a descriptive analysis of medical school admission policies concerning research involvement in Canada

BACKGROUND: Many aspiring physicians perceive research experience as a way to support their medical school applications; however, the importance of research experiences as articulated in medical school admission policies is unclear. This is significant since policies and other discursive signals about selection processes can influence the behaviour of aspiring physicians. The purpose of this study is to describe the ways through which Canadian medical schools articulate the importance of research experiences in publicly available policy documents. METHODS: From January to June 2021, the authors reviewed publicly available selection criteria, application materials, institutional and research-related web pages associated with the 17 Canadian medical schools alongside high-level Canadian articulations of important competencies for physicians. These materials were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach. The authors considered concordance and/or discordance within each school’s stance on the importance of research experiences in their selection criteria and application materials. RESULTS: Research experiences are typically not explicitly required for entry into a Canadian Doctor of Medicine (MD) program; however, there are expectations that graduating physicians should understand research. All 17 Canadian medical schools signal an appreciation for the value of research on an institutional level. Review of selection criteria and application materials show that five Canadian medical schools suggest to aspiring physicians that research experiences are important for admission and four do not suggest that research experiences are important for admission. There were both intra-institution and inter-institution discordance concerning the importance of research experiences for medical school applicant selection in one and seven medical schools respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Given the significant variance among the 17 Canadian medical schools, it is worthwhile for medical schools to evaluate their front-facing admission policies with consideration of the potential impact it might have on the behaviour of aspiring physicians, to ensure best selection of future physicians.