ASSESSMENT OF THE ATTITUDE OF UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS TOWARDS CLINICAL RESEARCH

Objective: To assess the attitude of undergraduate medical students towards clinical research. Method: 200 medical students from 3rd year to the final year of MBBS from different medical colleges of Sialkot were enrolled in the study. They attempted a self-designed questionnaire consisting of multiple sections targeted to assess their attitude towards the research. Their response is then recorded and data were analyzed by using SPSS v.20. Results: A total of 200 students were included in the study. This study revealed that the knowledge of medical students about clinical research methodology is highly inadequate. Misconceptions are frequent. The interest in conducting research during their professional life is higher in male (82%) students as compared to female (60%). Most students considered research valuable but at the same time, they perceived it as stressful and complex (47%). Conclusion: Most of the students were aware of the importance of clinical research and undertaking it, but their attitude to getting into research-related activities was not positive. These statistics demands an urgent need to introduce research programs as a part of the curriculum of medical study, and ensure that these programs meet their goals and continue to be improved by providing good infrastructural facilities to produce skillful physicians to support research-related activities. Keywords: Assessment, attitude, research, medical students