BackgroundAn observed decrease of physician scientists in medical practice has generated much recent interest in increasing the exposure of research programs in medical school. The aim of this study was to review the experience and attitudes regarding research by medical students in Canada.MethodsAn anonymous, cross-sectional, self-report questionnaire was administered to second and fourth year students in three medical schools in Ontario between February and May of 2005. Questions were primarily closed-ended and consisted of Likert scales. Descriptive and correlative statistics were used to analyze the responses between students of different years and previous research experience.ResultsThere was a 47% (327/699) overall response rate to the questionnaire. Despite 87% of respondents reporting that they had been involved in some degree of research prior to medical school, 43% report that they have not been significantly involved in research activity during medical school and 24% had no interest in any participation. There were significant differences in the attitudes towards research endeavors during medical school between students in their fourth year compared to second year. The greatest barriers to involvement in research in medical school appear to be time, availability of research mentors, formal teaching of research methodology and the perception that the student would not receive appropriate acknowledgement for work put towards a research project.ConclusionThe results of this self-report survey outline the significant differences in attitudes towards mandatory research as a component of critical inquiry and scholarship in the undergraduate curriculum in Ontario medical schools.
The HPC2/ELAC2 gene on chromosome 17p11 was identified as a candidate gene for hereditary prostate cancer (HPC) susceptibility. Two HPC2 gene missense variants, Ser217Leu (Leu217) and Ala541Thr (Thr541) have been associated with incident prostate cancer cases in some studies, but not in others. We tested for possible associations between the two HPC2 gene variants and prostate cancer risk in incident prostate cancer cases (199) and healthy male controls (525) from the Calgary region. The Thr541 variant showed linkage disequilibrium with the Leu217 variant. The number of Leu217 homozygotes in the case and control groups (8.6versus 8.5%) was not statistically different. Leu217 carrier status was associated with prostate cancer risk (cases 61.8% versus controls 50.3%) (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.15-2.23). Additional analysis found that this association was not due to the co-existence of Thr541 variant (OR1.59, P=0.009). Logistic regression found that the relationship between the log odds of being a Thr541carrier and age depends on case/control status. Thr541 carriers had an increased risk for late-onset prostate cancer (P=0.028). Prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) was more common in the Leu217 allele carriers compared to non-carriers (42.3 versus 26.7%) (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.10-3.83), and in the Thr541 carriers compared to non-carriers (50.0 versus 34.6%) (OR 1.89, 95% CI 0.75-4.78). In summary, the HPC2 gene variants Leu217 and Thr541 were associated with an increased risk for prostate cancer and for PIN in males undergoing radical prostatectomies in the Calgary region.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.