Sammanfattning
BACKGROUND: The medical student research programmes were established in 2002 to recruit medical students to research. We aimed to study how many of the former students in the research programme continued to engage in research, and to identify factors that were associated with continued research activity.
MATERIAL AND METHOD: All students enrolled in the Medical Student Research Programme at the University of Bergen since its launch in 2002 who graduated before June 2017 were contacted by email for participation in an online survey. Participants were asked whether they were engaged in or had completed a doctoral degree, the number of articles they had published, academic teaching and supervision, and if they were employed by a university or university college.
RESULTS: 102 of 148 (69 %) respondents completed the questionnaire, 68 % of whom had continued to a doctoral degree, 38 % were involved in academic teaching or supervision, and 29 % were employed in an academic position. The median number of published articles was four. Women had a higher likelihood than men of continuing to a doctoral degree. This also applied to those who had published at least one article before completing their medical degree and to those who had not received regular supervision as a student in the research programme. There was no correlation between completing the research programme and continuing to a doctoral degree.
INTERPRETATION: Many medical students who have completed the Medical Student Research Programme at the University of Bergen continue to engage in research after graduation. This also applies to those withdrew from the programme.