Abstract

Introduction: Integration of research into medical education is crucial for cultivating physician-scientists capable of advancing medical breakthroughs. It is imperative to take these measures for early medical students to establish a strong research foundation for future healthcare professionals.

Methods: This study investigated the impact of early research exposure on pre-clinical medical students at Gulf Medical University (GMU). A sample size of 85 MD students participated in the study, which spanned six months. In GMU, early exposure to research begins with sessions integrated into the Medical Education and Lifelong Learning (MEL) course during the first year, covering the structure and function of different sections of a research paper and practical application through Journal Article Discussions (JADs) in journal clubs in the 2nd year.

Results: The intervention involved the evaluation of these measures through pre-validated MCQs and a self-administered questionnaire. MCQ results revealed that over 70% of students scored above 40% on research knowledge assessments. Additionally, a questionnaire comprising open and close-ended questions revealed that most of the students reported a positive agreement in understanding research structures.

Conclusion: The findings underscored the necessity of incorporating research into medical curricula to enhance students' research competencies and foster a positive attitude toward research. This study highlighted the importance of early research exposure in developing future physician-scientists.

Keywords: Medical education, Research exposure, Student attitudes, Early research engagement, Physician-scientist development.