Interests in research electives among osteopathic medical students

The number of physician-researchers in the United States is in decline. Osteopathic medical schools must examine strategies for increasing the number of trained clinical researchers.

To assess the interest of first- and second-year osteopathic medical students in taking an elective research course during their third and fourth years of medical school; and to examine the relationship among students' personal characteristics, previous research experience, and elective research courses.

Fifteen-question, self-administered, cross-sectional survey.

Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg in September 2004.

First- and second-year osteopathic medical students.

Personal characteristics, previous research experience, and research elective interest (8-week vs 12-week course; and clinical/population vs basic science focus).

The response rate was 83.9% (N=255 [149 first-year students; 106 second-year students]), with 51% women responding. Approximately 72% of students had worked on a research project at some time during undergraduate or medical training, and 42% had completed an undergraduate, data-based thesis. Students reported greater interest in a 12-week elective (34%) than an 8-week elective (23%), and two thirds preferred a clinical and/or population to a basic science focus.

Colleges of osteopathic medicine must develop research training and mentoring programs to foster such interests in their students, and innovative recruitment approaches need to be developed for DO/PhD degree programs. These strategies will help provide meaningful research education and experiences to osteopathic medical students.