Undergraduate research (UGR) is a valuable experience, that can potentially enhance the quality of graduates, and raise the awareness of the importance of research and its impact on career development. These outcomes, however, depend on the environment under which students conduct research. We undertook a self-administered survey, to elucidate the experiences of both students and supervisors, in the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (COMHS), Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. The study examined supervisors (n = 90) and students’ (n = 314) perceptions to UGR and factors that hinder the research experience. The supervisors’ and students’ satisfaction towards UGR was good (mean = 72.4 ± 13.0) and moderate (mean = 57.8 ± 14.2), respectively. The students reported a good satisfaction towards the relevance of research (Mean = 71.34 ± 20.0) research learning skills acquired (63.43 ± 18.9), research supervisor (68.47 ± 23.5), with female students been more positive towards UGR than males. The students’ grade in UGR module was the only independent factor influencing the overall satisfaction. The supervisors were highly satisfied with the relevance of UGR (mean = 84.4% ±20.7), the module structure (mean = 73.3 ± 14.6), workload (mean = 73.3 ± 14.6) and the students’ performance (71.8%±18). However, supervisors were less positive towards the students’ acquired skills (mean = 69.0% ±12.8) and logistics for UGR (mean = 67.8%±16.3). In summary, supervisors and students in COMHS, Oman, regard UGR as valuable and recognize its relevance. Supervisors were more likely than students to report lack of resources to run UGR. Thus, resources should be maintained to inspire supervisors and sustain a research-oriented environment to inspire students.
Background Neurosurgery residency became one of the most competitive specialties in the medical field worldwide, which is increasing with time in contrast to the limited positions. Therefore, the requirements for the program have increased. There are different criteria for each program, which are determined by specific factors. It has become increasingly important for medical students to be aware of the factors that affect their acceptance into the program. There was a lack of data regarding the factors that contribute to the selection of neurosurgery residents in Oman Methods A questionnaire composed of 14 questions was conducted, using the SurveyMonkey Web site, among neurosurgeons in Oman which was distributed to the five hospitals that have neurosurgery departments in Oman. SPSS software was used in the analysis of the collected data. Results Forty-four participants responded to the survey. Ninety-five percent of them answered all the questions. Out of all participants, only two were female participants. Standardized international exam scores, such as the United State Medical Licensing Examination and Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination, ranked as the most important factor with a percentage of 44, followed by interview performance with a percentage of 33. While the least important factor was the age of applicants, which 46% of the participants ranked 8. Conclusion Most of the participants agreed that standardized exams are the most important factor in the selection of neurosurgery residents followed by interview performance, although there was no significant statistical difference between the two.
Undergraduate research (UGR) is a valuable experience that can potentially enhance the quality of graduates, and raise awareness of the importance of research and its impact on career development. These outcomes, however, depend on the environment under which students conduct research. The present study assessed the staff and students’ perspective of UGR in an intensive teaching setting at the college of Medicine and Health Sciences (COMHS), Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Oman. We assessed the perception of supervisors (n = 90) and students (n = 314) of UGR and factors that hinder the research experience. Satisfaction towards UGR among supervisors and students was good (mean = 72.4 ± 13.0) and moderate (mean = 57.8 ±14.2), respectively. The students reported a good satisfaction towards the relevance of UGR (mean = 71.34 ± 20.0), the research skills acquired (63.43 ± 18.9), and interaction with research supervisors (68.47 ± 23.5). Female students were more positive towards UGR than males. The students’ grade in the UGR module was the only independent factor influencing their satisfaction. Similar to the students, supervisors were highly satisfied with the relevance of UGR (mean = 84.4% ± 20.7), the module structure (mean = 73.3 ± 14.6), workload (mean = 73.3 ± 14.6) and the students’ performance (71.8% ± 18). However, supervisors were less positive about the students’ acquired skills (mean = 69.0% ±12.8) and available logistics to support UGR (mean = 67.8% ± 16.3). In summary, supervisors and students in COMHS, Oman, (SQU) regard UGR as valuable and recognize its relevance. Supervisors were more likely than students to report a lack of resources to run UGR. Thus, resources should be maintained to inspire supervisors and sustain an active research environment to inspire students.
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