Cultivating a Culture of Research in Saudi Board Family Medicine Program

Nurturing a research culture in family medicine practice enables identification of health problems and their solutions at the grassroots level. Mandatory research during family medicine residency can serve this purpose. The Saudi Board Family Medicine (SBFM) program in Qassim provides comprehensive research training and mandates the submission of a full research project for residency completion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the research training at the SBFM program in Qassim, applying Kirkpatrick's evaluation model.

We evaluated the research training of five cohorts, enrolled 2019 to 2023. To evaluate the research training, we analyzed the research course's pretest/posttest, cumulative results, and satisfaction survey; residents' perceived research skills; research project completion; and publication rate. We used descriptive and comparative statistics for data analysis.

During the years 2019 to 2023, 94 residents attended the research course. For all cohorts, the difference in the pretest and posttest mean scores was statistically significant, and the mean score of cumulative results exceeded 90%. The mean scores for perceived research skills increased after completion of the research course, and the level of satisfaction remained consistently high throughout the years. Among the three cohorts completing residency, 100% (n = 51) of the research projects were completed, and 45 (88%) were published in international, peer-reviewed journals.

The research training has been successfully implemented, and the high publication rate demonstrates its impact on research productivity. The study highlights the importance of research training during family medicine residency in cultivating a research culture and promoting evidence-based practice in primary care.