Department of Research Operations, Cook Children's Health Care System, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
J Osteopath Med. 2021 Feb 23;121(4):385-390. doi: 10.1515/jom-2020-0251.
Medical students, especially at osteopathic medical schools, have limited research exposure. Systematic instruction in research, supervised by qualified mentors, could motivate osteopathic medical students to pursue research in their careers, thereby increasing the number of future clinician-scientists. Recruiting and retaining suitable research mentors are crucial to sustaining such programs, but this task is also particularly challenging for osteopathic medical schools.
To assess mentors' experiences in a voluntary student-mentor medical research program.
An online survey was sent to 76 university- or hospital-based participants who previously mentored 219 medical students between 2014 and 2019. The questionnaire consisted of 13 items with responses in checklist, five-point Likert scale, and categorical multiple-choice formats, assessing motivation for participation, satisfaction with the program, and interest in future participation. Data were analyzed descriptively, and responses from mentors at the university and hospital were compared using univariate logistic and ordinal regression analyses.
Among 70 (92.1%) mentors who responded to the survey, 61 (87.1%) reported being motivated by a desire to help medical students learn research. Forty-nine (70.0%) mentors indicated that furthering their own research productivity was a motivation, and hospital-based mentors were statistically significantly more likely to endorse this source of motivation (OR=2.02; 95% CI=1.18-3.45; p=0.01). Most respondents were satisfied with the quality of the students' work (59 [84.3%]) and with the program (59 [85.5%]). However, 46 (65.7%) suggested the program could be enhanced by requiring medical students to be physically present in the clinic or laboratory for a minimum amount of time. Importantly, most (58 [84.1%]) mentors reported that they would be interested in participating in future mentored research programs.
Mentors were motivated to participate in the voluntary research program for both altruistic and professional reasons. Since most mentors reported being satisfied with the program, it is likely they would participate in future mentored research programs. Our results suggest that mentors viewed this voluntary research program as mutually beneficial.
医学生，尤其是在骨医学校，他们的研究经验有限。系统的研究指导，由合格的导师监督，可以激发医学生在职业生涯中从事研究，从而增加未来临床科学家的数量。招募和留住合适的研究导师对于维持这样的项目至关重要，但对于骨医学校来说，这一任务尤其具有挑战性。
评估导师在自愿学生导师医学研究计划中的经验。
向 76 名曾在 2014 年至 2019 年间指导过 219 名医学生的大学或医院的参与者发送了在线调查。问卷包括 13 个项目，采用清单、五点李克特量表和分类多项选择格式，评估参与动机、对项目的满意度以及对未来参与的兴趣。数据进行描述性分析，并使用单变量逻辑回归和有序多变量回归分析比较大学和医院导师的回答。
在 70 名（92.1%）回答调查的导师中，有 61 名（87.1%）表示他们的参与动机是帮助医学生学习研究。有 49 名（70.0%）导师表示，进一步提高他们自己的研究生产力是一种动机，而医院的导师在统计学上更有可能认可这一动机来源（比值比=2.02；95%置信区间=1.18-3.45；p=0.01）。大多数受访者对学生工作的质量（59 [84.3%]）和项目本身（59 [85.5%]）感到满意。然而，有 46 名（65.7%）导师建议，通过要求医学生在诊所或实验室至少停留一定时间，可以提高项目质量。重要的是，大多数（58 [84.1%]）导师表示他们有兴趣参与未来的指导研究项目。
导师参与自愿研究计划的动机既有利他主义的，也有专业的。由于大多数导师对该项目表示满意，他们很可能会参与未来的指导研究项目。我们的结果表明，导师认为这个自愿研究项目是互利的。
