King Saud University’ Medical Students Research Experience: A Mixed-Methodology Study

Abstract

King Saud University’s (KSU) medical students are educated on research methodology through a mandatory course. This investigation aims to evaluate these students’ research experience. This is a mixed-methodology study undertaken at the medical college KSU. Four focus groups were performed to allow an in-depth analysis of factors affecting KSU medical students’ research experiences. The qualitative aspect was followed by a quantitative survey to evaluate the KSU medical college faculty’s perception of undergraduate students’ supervisory mission. A total of 49 participants were involved in this study. Thirty-one students participated in the qualitative part. However, only 18 faculty members responded to the online questionnaire (a response rate of 18%). The thematic analysis produced three main themes and 12 subthemes. The main themes were related to organizational factors influencing students’ research experience, how they conducted research and their research outcomes. Quantitative analysis findings indicated that the majority of supervisors think that students’ research weaknesses are related to the development of the research questions, statistical analysis and scientific writing. There is a need to revisit the curriculum structure of KSU medical college and minimize the interference between research and clinical education, and examinations. More emphasis should be given to providing practical training in statistics, scientific writing and supervisory experience enhancement.