Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of adding a research module in medical schools’ curriculum in enhancing students’ research knowledge, research methodology, scientific writing, and improvement in research publication outcomes in Saudi Arabian medical colleges. It also explored overall students’ self-perceived competency and attitude towards research.
Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted to assess the impact of introducing a research module into the medical school curriculum on research outcomes. Fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-year undergraduate medical students from various Saudi universities participated in the study. Data were collected through a Google Forms survey distributed via social media, encompassing sociodemographic details, general publication-related inquiries, and hypothesis-specific questions for module participants. The survey was conducted over two months between November and December 2023.
Results: The study involved 266 medical students from different universities in Saudi Arabia, with 79.3% reporting the inclusion of a research module in their curriculum. Student attitudes toward the module showed varying levels of agreement with its perceived effects. The overall mean score of 3.40 suggests a positive reception of the research module among students. Furthermore, a statistically significant increase in the number of publications was observed after the implementation of the research module. Additionally, students expressed increased interest in further research publications upon completion of the research module.
Conclusion: This study highlighted the increasing significance of involving undergraduate medical students in research activities.

Key words: medical education, research module, Curriculum enhancement , publication outcomes, medical student , scientific writing