Enhancing the physician-scientist workforce: evaluating a mentored research program for medical students' research...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Translational Research
• Physician-Scientist Workforce Development

Background:

• Incorporating scientific discoveries into healthcare requires a strong physician-scientist workforce.
• Medical student research engagement correlates with academic success, yet a

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess a structured mentored research program's effectiveness in enhancing medical students' research competencies.
• To evaluate the program's impact on sustaining students' interest in research careers and addressing the physician-scientist pipeline challenges.

Main Methods:

• The Medical Student Research Program (MSRP) at UCI provided structured training and faculty mentorship.
• Medical students were surveyed at enrollment and one year later to assess changes in research competencies and career intentions.

Main Results:

• The MSRP successfully enhanced students' research competencies during the first year.
• A decrease in students' intention to engage in future research was observed, mirroring national trends.

Conclusions:

• The program improved research skills, but sustaining research career interest remains a challenge.
• Continued innovation in training programs is crucial to address the physician-scientist workforce "leaky pipeline".