Interests in research electives among osteopathic medical students.
BACKGROUND
The number of physician-researchers in the United States is in decline. Osteopathic medical schools must examine strategies for increasing the number of trained clinical researchers.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the interest of first- and second-year osteopathic medical students in taking an elective research course during their third and fourth years of medical school; and to examine the relationship among students' personal characteristics, previous research experience, and elective research courses.


METHODS
Fifteen-question, self-administered, cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg in September 2004.


METHODS
First- and second-year osteopathic medical students.


METHODS
Personal characteristics, previous research experience, and research elective interest (8-week vs 12-week course; and clinical/population vs basic science focus).


RESULTS
The response rate was 83.9% (N=255 [149 first-year students; 106 second-year students]), with 51% women responding. Approximately 72% of students had worked on a research project at some time during undergraduate or medical training, and 42% had completed an undergraduate, data-based thesis. Students reported greater interest in a 12-week elective (34%) than an 8-week elective (23%), and two thirds preferred a clinical and/or population to a basic science focus.


CONCLUSIONS
Colleges of osteopathic medicine must develop research training and mentoring programs to foster such interests in their students, and innovative recruitment approaches need to be developed for DO/PhD degree programs. These strategies will help provide meaningful research education and experiences to osteopathic medical students.
Pheley
Alfred M
AM
Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service, Albion College, 611 E Porter St, Albion, MI 49224-1831, USA. apheley@albion.edu
Lois
Hilary
H
Strobl
Jeannine
J
D000328:Adult; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000193:education; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010021:Osteopathic Medicine / Q000193:education*; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000193:education*; D013337:Students, Medical; D014768:Virginia