Strategies for making research more accessible to dental students

Increasing student involvement in research has potential rewards for both faculty and students. Both groups have demands on their time, interest, and commitment that frequently result in low student research activity. Dental schools can make research more accessible to students by increasing student understanding of the importance of research, establishing rotating research positions, providing compensation, pursuing projects that interest students, and providing time in the curriculum for research by restructuring the basic sciences curriculum during the first two years of dental school. No attempt to make the research process easier or more accessible should compromise the integrity of the scientific process, but increasing students' research involvement will pay long-term dividends for dental schools and the profession.