title: Perception, awareness and practice of research-oriented medical education among undergraduate students of a medical college in Kolkata, West Bengal.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The addition of research-oriented medical education (ROME) to the existing curriculum could promote logical thinking, rapid literature search and a better understanding of research methodology. Creation of research temperament could lead to innovations in healthcare. We assessed the perception, awareness and practice of ROME among undergraduate students.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 234 students of R.G. Kar Medical College, Kolkata selected by the simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a pre-designed, pre-tested, validated questionnaire by direct interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (SD) perception score was 44.2 (5.03). Students from outside West Bengal (p=0.05), women (p=0.03) and students whose parents were doctors (p=0.01) had significantly higher scores. Students in the second and fourth semesters had a better perception than those in the sixth and eighth semesters. Awareness of research fellowships granted to undergraduate students such as the Indian Council of Medical Research-Short-term studentship (ICMR-STS) was low among the second semester students (13.9%), but more than half (59.3%) of the students in the eighth semester were aware (difference across semesters, p<0.001). Awareness about journals, conferences and 'research bodies promoting student research' was low. Students in the senior semesters spent more time on research (6th semester 72.2% and 8th semester 88.9%) than those in the junior semesters (2nd: 66.7% and 4th: 77.8%; difference across semesters, p=0.03). About 3% of students participated in extracurricular research and/or had presented work at a conference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a good perception about the need for research but a lack of awareness of the why and how, as well as hardly any practice of ROME among medical students of this medical college.
authors: Undergraduate student, Final year, R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors: Subhankar
authors: S
authors: Chatterjee
authors: Department of Pharmacology, R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors: Anjan
authors: A
authors: Adhikari
authors: Department of Community Medicine, Bankura Sammilani Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal, India.
authors: Dibakar
authors: D
authors: Haldar
authors: Undergraduate student, Final year, R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors: Payel
authors: P
authors: Biswas
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities