Undergraduate research in primary care: Is it sustainable?

Abstract

To describe the research project component of the BSc in Primary Health Care and to discuss the issues faced by students and faculty in attempting to complete a student-led research project. Medical schools increasingly expect medical students to undertake research as part of intercalated BSc’s or in self-selected study modules. This research has historically been laboratory based, ‘piggybacking’ onto existing projects. Projects initiated by students themselves and studies in primary care or community settings are more unusual. A qualitative study, based on interviews with students and examiners, triangulated with data from the peer review process and personal observations on the running of the course. A London medical school, running an intercalated BSc in Primary Health Care. We interviewed 24 of 26 students and two external examiners during the interview period of the study. Students successfully undertook research, from initial question through to publication. Overall, 90 dissertations were completed since 1997, of which half used a qualitative methodology (45/90). Ten projects have subsequently been published; there were also 16 conference presentations and 6 research letters. Themes from the interview data include: the students’ strong sense of project ownership, the difficulties of being a novice researcher, the difficulties posed by the research governance hurdles, the beneficial and for some students adverse impact (stress and coping with unsuccessful projects) and finally, the impact on their careers. Students gain considerably from this learning process, not only by undertaking their own research, but they also gain in terms of acquisition of transferable skills such as critical appraisal and improved self-directedness. Project completion and publication rates suggest that programmes developing undergraduate initiated research projects can be as successful as those for other novice researchers. The student-led project is a fragile endeavour, but currently is sustainable. © 2008, Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved.