Insights into research activities of senior dental students in the Middle East: A multicenter preliminary study.

Autor: Alrashdan MS; Department of Oral and Craniofacial Health Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, P.O.Box: 27272, Sharjah, UAE. malrashdan@sharjah.ac.ae.; Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan. malrashdan@sharjah.ac.ae., Qutieshat A; Department of Adult Restorative Dentistry, Oman Dental College, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.; Department of Restorative Dentistry, Dundee Dental Hospital & School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK., El-Kishawi M; Preventive and Restorative Dentistry Department, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE., Alarabi A; Clinical Sciences Department, College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, UAE., Khasawneh L; Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan., Kawas SA; Department of Oral and Craniofacial Health Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, P.O.Box: 27272, Sharjah, UAE.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: BMC medical education [BMC Med Educ] 2024 Sep 04; Vol. 24 (1), pp. 967. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Sep 04.
DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05955-5
Abstrakt: Background: Despite the increasing recognition of the importance of research in undergraduate dental education, limited studies have explored the nature of undergraduate research activities in dental schools in the Middle East region. This study aimed to evaluate the research experience of final year dental students from three dental schools in the Middle East.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among final-year dental students from three institutions, namely Jordan University of Science and Technology, University of Sharjah (UAE), and Oman Dental College. Participants were asked about the nature and scope of their research projects, the processes involved in the research, and their perceived benefits of engaging in research.
Results: A total of 369 respondents completed the questionnaire.  Cross-sectional studies represented the most common research type  (50.4%), with public health (29.3%) and dental education (27.9%) being the predominant domains. More than half of research proposals were developed via discussions with instructors (55.0%), and literature reviews primarily utilized PubMed (70.2%) and Google Scholar (68.5%). Regarding statistical analysis, it was usually carried out with instructor's assistance (45.2%) or using specialized software (45.5%). The students typically concluded their projects with a manuscript (58.4%), finding the discussion section most challenging to write (42.0%). The research activity was considered highly beneficial, especially in terms of teamwork and communication skills, as well as data interpretation skills, with 74.1% of students reporting a positive impact on their research perspectives.
Conclusions: The research experience was generally positive among surveyed dental students. However, there is a need for more diversity in research domains, especially in qualitative studies, greater focus on guiding students in research activities s, especially in manuscript writing and publication. The outcomes of this study could provide valuable insights for dental schools seeking to improve their undergraduate research activities.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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