Knowledge, attitude and perceived barriers toward research among undergraduate medical students

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge, attitude and perceived barriers toward research among undergraduate medical students. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional institution based study was conducted from April to June, 2014 on 3rd year MBBS students at Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi, after approval by ERC-BUMDC. Data was collected by administering specially designed questionnaire, filled on one to one basis, after taking verbal consent. Analysis was done by using SPSS version 18. Results: Out of total 104 students of 3rdyear MBBS at Bahria University Medical and Dental College, 96 students participated in the study. Response rate was 93%. The score on knowledge regarding basic concepts of research was found to be on the lower side (3.1+1.4 out of 10 questions).Overall, the students showed positive attitude toward research as majority of students agreed on positive statements toward research. Students highlighted many perceived barriers such as lack of time (92%), ‘lack of rewarding and motivational system (86%) followed by inadequate funding and monetary system (79%) for undergraduate research. Conclusion: This study showed low knowledge score coupled with a positive attitude toward research among undergraduate medical students. This could be related to various perceived barriers for undergraduate research identified by students. These barriers need to be addressed to ensure an improvement in the undergraduate medical researc