Prolonged Delays for Research Training in Medical School are Associated with Poorer Subsequent Clinical Knowledge

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Complementary degree programs and research training are important alternative tracks in medical school that typically interrupt the traditional MD curriculum. OBJECTIVE:Examine effects of such a break on clinical knowledge after reentry into the MD curriculum. DESIGN:Retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS:Three hundred and two graduates of Mayo Medical School. MAIN MEASUREMENTS:Compared years of delay between the second and third years of medical school with third year clerkship grades, National Board of Medical Examiner's (NBME) Subject Examinations, and United States Medical License Exam (USMLE)Step 2.MAIN RESULTS: 258, 13, and 31 students spent 0, 1, or ≥3 years pursing research between the second and third year. Baseline measures of knowledge before matriculation and before the third year were similar between groups. Whereas a 1-year delay had no significant effect, a ≥3-year delay was associated with fewer clerkship honors and lower NBME Medicine, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry percentiles compared to no delay (all p<.05). Students with a ≥3-year delay had a 77% reduction in the odds of honors in Medicine. For each year of delay beyond 3, students' third-year NBME Medicine, Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Psychiatry scores decreased as did USMLE Step 2 scores (r=−.38 to −.50, p<.05).CONCLUSIONS: Delays of ≥3 years between the second and third years of medical school are associated with lower grades and scores on clinical knowledge tests. Further research is needed to determine the optimal timing of research training and develop effective interventions to facilitate reentry into the medical school curriculum.

Medical Student Research: An Integrated Mixed-Methods Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Both of these outcomes are explorative in nature (rely on proportions rather than odds ratios) and have been quantitatively pooled to yield a weighed estimate value. The results have been summarized in Fig 3 [ 7 , 10 , 26 , 28 , 32 , 47 – 49 , 52 , 54 , 55 , 58 , 63 , 67 – 69 , 71 – 75 , 80 – 82 , 85 , 90 – 92 ] .…”

Extracurricular participation in research and audit by medical students: Opportunities, obstacles, motivation and outcomes

“…Dyrbye et al found that a delay of 3 years or more during medical school for research was associated with lower grades and scores on clinical knowledge tests (Dyrbye et al 2007). In addition, Tait et al found that students undertaking an intercalated degree had no consistent short-term academic advantage over those who did not (Tait & Marshall 1995).…”

An integrated model for developing research skills in an undergraduate medical curriculum: appraisal of an approach using student selected components

“…Problem solving is key, where incomplete and perhaps conflicting information needs to be synthesized and processed effectively. In our undergraduate medicine curriculum, we aim to establish a learner-centred experiential approach, which is educationally beneficial [6, 7] to develop deep learning with higher order intellectual skills and attributes, and improve clinical diagnostic skills and pattern recognition from within an integrated curriculum [8, 9]. Research skills can be superficially offered as a series of lectures, workshops and small-group work, applying a range of techniques.…”