Attitude of undergraduate medical students towards medical research: A cross-sectional study

Background Medical research is the backbone of advances in medical technology. To decrease the deficit in the physician- scientist ratio in developing countries, initiatives are being taken to inspire medical students to pursue research careers. Hence, it is necessary to understand the attitudes of undergraduate (UG) medical students towards medical research. Methods This cross-sectional survey included 241 UG medical students of the 2016-17 academic year from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd years of a teaching institute and a tertiary care hospital. A pretested, structured questionnaire containing 25 items was used to capture the various dimensions of attitudes towards medical research, such as the importance of research, the scientific rigour of medical research, perceived personal benefits and difficulties, and motivators for pursuing research as a medical student. Results Of the 241 students, 20 (8.3%) had undertaken research during medical school, and 144 (60%) had a positive attitude with strong agreement on the statement 'Research discovery is essential for clinical care'. In exploratory factor analysis, 5 attitudes towards research were obtained: (i) Instrumental motivated attitude, (ii) externally motivated or forced attitude, (iii) positive attitude, (iv) negative attitude and (v) seriousness towards research. Conclusion UG medical students had a positive attitude towards the idea that 'research is essential for clinical care' and showed interest in attending training in research methodology.