Medical Student Comfort with Academic Publishing: A Single-Institution Experience with a Supplemental Interactive...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Academic Publishing
• Research Communication

Background:

• The United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1's shift to Pass/Fail increases emphasis on research output for medical students.
• Medical students are increasingly involved in research to enhance competitiveness for residency programs.
• Despite research involvement, many students lack confidence in communicating project results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the medical student research and academic publishing landscape.
• To assess medical students' familiarity and comfort with the publishing process.
• To evaluate the impact of a student-led interactive lecture on academic publishing.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative survey-based study was conducted at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson.
• Surveys assessed medical students' comfort with academic publishing before and after an optional lecture.
• Participant data included pre-session survey responses, lecture attendance, and post-session survey feedback.

Main Results:

• Most participants were actively involved in research, mirroring pre-medical school engagement.
• A majority of students reported low comfort with academic publishing and identifying predatory journals initially.
• Post-lecture surveys indicated increased comfort in identifying predatory journals and overall publishing processes.

Conclusions:

• Medical students actively engaged in research often begin with limited comfort in academic publishing.
• A student-led interactive lecture significantly enhanced attendees' confidence in academic publishing and predatory journal identification.
• Interactive educational sessions can effectively address gaps in medical students' understanding of academic publishing.