‘Acclaim and recognition?’ A repeated cross-sectional study investigating medical student motivations to get published in a research-orientated medical undergraduate program

OBJECTIVES Within the Trinity College, Dublin medicine programme there is an emphasis placed on developing clinicians to both pursue and critically appraise research. Batten made the statement, ‘in his clinical years our student will spend more time with patients, less time in the museum, the library, and the laboratories, and very little time in the operating theatre’. The aim of this study was to identify if students felt making a contribution to medical literature was imperative to their training and future development as doctors and if these attitudes changed over the course of their undergraduate career. METHODS 3rd year medical students were surveyed on their attitudes toward research. (n-77) A cross section of the same cohort of students was presented with the survey again in their final medical year. (n-57) A purpose designed questionnaire was used to establish a number of variables measured with Likert scales. The statements were designed based on themes identified in literature exploring evolution of undergraduate medical education. RESULTS The survey was applied to 127 students and expressed as percentages of the cross sections sampled. 21% and 14% of the 3rd year and final medical year cross sections had published respectively. The overwhelming majority demonstrated a desire to become published and recognised career benefits in doing so, associating with it higher earning power and equal notability to elective experience on Curriculum Vitae. The statement ‘the most powerful motivating factor to pursue research is the opportunity to get published’ was strongly agreed with by both groups increasing to 24% from 12% in the final year cross section. The consensus of both groups was that the curriculum did not allow sufficient time to pursue work on publications outside of the course requirements. DISCUSSION The survey demonstrated that students felt aiming to produce a publication was an important part of their medical training. Within the realm of patient centred education are we placing an emphasis on research that detracts from patient centred education? There is a strong desire by students to produce pieces of work that contribute to knowledge in the medical field but an equal desire for this contribution to be recognised.