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Multicenter Study
. 2025 Jan 25;25(1):126.
doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-06566-w.

Research involvement among undergraduate medical students in Bangladesh: a multicenter cross-sectional study

Mohammad Jahid Hasan  1   2 , Salwa Islam  3   4 , Hasnat Sujon  5 , Fahmida Islam Chowdhury  6 , Muna Islam  6 , Mostak Ahmed  7 , Mahbuba Shabnam  8 , Mahbub Mayukh Rishad  9 , Mohammad Nurunnabi  10 , Md Marufur Rahman  11 , Jannatul Fardous  7 , Mir Susmita Zaman  7 , Mir Paramita Zaman  12 , Mir Ahsan Ali  12 , Md Rabiual Awal  7 , Taha Choudhury  7 , Ahmed Ullah Shuvo  12 , Sabrina Sultana  12 , Tanjina Tabassum  12 , Monjur Rahman  12 , Anindita Das Barshan  7 , Tamanna Tabassum  7 , Md Abdur Rafi  7 , Sharmeen Yasmeen  13
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Research involvement among undergraduate medical students in Bangladesh: a multicenter cross-sectional study

Mohammad Jahid Hasan et al. BMC Med Educ. .

Abstract

Background: The involvement of undergraduate medical students in research is pivotal for the advancement of evidence-based clinical practice. This study aimed to assess the extent of research involvement and the factors influencing it among undergraduate medical students in Bangladesh.

Methods: A multi-center cross-sectional study involving 2864 medical students from both public and private medical colleges was conducted between June and December 2023. Data on demographics, research involvement, participation in research training, future career aspirations in research, and obstacles encountered by students were collected. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 25.

Results: The mean age of the students was 21.8 ± 1.8 (SD) years, with the majority being female (61.8%). Overall, 21.5% (n = 617) were actively participating in research beyond academic activities. Approximately 7% (n = 205) had undergone formal research training, and 6.5% (n = 187) had experience in publications in peer-reviewed journals as first authors or coauthors. A total of 45.5% of the students faced multiple challenges during participating in research, with the two most difficult tasks being designing a study (26.7%) and data collection and recruitment of study participants (19.6%). Almost half of the students (47.2%, n = 1352) showed an interest in pursuing a research career in the near future. The primary barriers preventing students from choosing a future research career were insufficient mentorship (16.3%), the perception of a lengthy career path (17.2%), and limited funding opportunities (15.9%). Factors that significantly encouraged research involvement included being male (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2-1.8), studying in the senior academic phase (aOR 3.9, 95% CI: 2.7-5.6), previous education from an English-medium educational institute (aOR 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2-2.2), and encouragement from faculty (aOR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.7).

Conclusion: The proportion of research participation among the students was relatively low. To promote research engagement among undergraduate medical students in Bangladesh, comprehensive policy formulation and strong commitment at the highest levels are essential. Integrating national research policy into the curriculum could serve as a strategic measure for achieving this objective.

Keywords: Health research; Medical education; Medical students; Research involvement.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was approved by the Ethical Review Committee of Public Health Foundation Bangladesh. Informed written consent was obtained from all eligible participants who agreed to participate. The authors declare that no human subjects were harmed, and the procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards and regulations established by the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association. Use of AI: Chat-GPT 3 was used to improve the clarity of the manuscript and for language editing. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Undergraduate medical curriculum of Bangladesh
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Gender differences in encountering obstacles/challenges during research activities (n = 1304). * chi-square test revealed significant difference in encountering obstacles/challenges based on gender (p < 0.001)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Reported reasons for pursuing a career in research (n = 1352)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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