The impact of a summer research internship program on research engagement of osteopathic medical students

Research plays a critical role in the medical field, driving progress and shaping clinical guidelines. It has become particularly significant in the residency application process due to the advent of "pass or fail" scoring for Step 1. Unfortunately, there is a marked discrepancy between the quantity of research conducted by osteopathic and allopathic students, disadvantaging many osteopathic residency applicants.

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM)-Bradenton established the Summer Research Internship Program in 2023 to improve research self-efficacy, facilitate research participation, and encourage lifelong research engagement in Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate participant research experience and self-efficacy through pre- and postprogram surveys.

This study consisted of an experimental group of 18 students who participated in this program. A control group consisted of 20 students not enrolled in the program who had minimal research experience and no plans to conduct research throughout the study's duration. Participants completed pre- and postprogram surveys, assessing research experience and self-efficacy across four domains: knowledge of research foundations, ability to identify scholarly literature, motivation to conduct research, and likelihood of future engagement. Data were analyzed via a quantitative Likert scale.

The experimental group reported significantly greater (p<0.05) research experience pre- and postprogram including poster creation, LECOM Research Day participation, and publication history. The experimental group also had significantly (p<0.05) more experience with manuscript preparation postprogram compared to the controls. For the self-efficacy survey, the experimental group had higher (p<0.05) motivation to perform research prior to the start of the program compared to the controls. Moreover, this group gained greater (p<0.05) experience in research foundations and identification of the literature postprogram compared with controls.

The LECOM Summer Research Internship Program significantly enhanced research experience and self-efficacy among participants when compared to controls. This program study may serve as a model for other institutions seeking to expand student research engagement and build a culture of scholarly activity. Expanding successful structured research programs may also help address the disparity in research output between osteopathic and allopathic medical students.