A cross-sectional study to assess the attitude, knowledge and practice towards research among undergraduates at a medical college

Background: The introduction of research oriented programmes into medical colleges fosters favourable attitude towards academically focused careers among undergraduate medical students. Early acquaintance with knowledge, perception and practice is associated with better critical thinking and lifelong learning. The present study was carried out to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of medical research among undergraduate students at a medical college in Haryana, India. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students of second, pre-final, final MBBS professional year and interns. A pre-designed, semi-structured, self-designed questionnaire in google form was used for data collection. Results: A total of 300 undergraduate students participated in the study. There was overall positive attitude (95.66%) of the undergraduate medical students towards scientific research. 37% of study subjects had satisfactory knowledge, 44.66% had fair knowledge and 18.33% had poor knowledge about the research. A small proportion (23%) of students had participated in workshops. Lack of time, inadequate research training, limited access to laboratory equipments and insufficient mentorship were the major obstacles faced by students in conducting medical research. Conclusion: Undergraduate students have positive attitude towards medical research and have adequate knowledge. Workshops and research facilities at the institution need to undergo major transfiguration in order to encourage meaningful research by medical students at undergraduate level.