Understanding challenges to medical and dental student research practices. An insight from a cross-sectional study of the public sector in Pakistan

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to identify and comprehend the challenges experienced by the undergraduate medical and dental students in enrolled in public sector in Pakistan while conducting research. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was carried out from April to June of 2023 among undergraduate students at public sector medical and dental schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A customized questionnaire was developed to gather information on the challenges faced by students when undertaking research. The survey was circulated online using Google Forms, and participation was entirely optional. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the responses. RESULTS: Participants in the study were 58 male and 139 female students who were enrolled in the Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programs. The analysis found that 47% of students cited a lack of knowledge and research skills as a major barrier, while 40% cited time restrictions as a major issue. Mentorship and training issues were cited as major barriers by 51% of students, while a lack of institutional support was cited as a significant issue by 53% of students. Language issues made it difficult to produce research papers for 14% of students, while finding research opportunities was challenging for 38% of students. CONCLUSION: According to the research, undergraduate medical and dentistry students in the public sector encountered a number of challenges when conducting research. It was suggested that these issues be resolved by include research projects in the curriculum, providing specific interventions for enhancing research skills, establishing mentorship programs, and allocating funds for research activities.