Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34797859›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

The importance of motivation in selecting undergraduate medical students for extracurricular research programmes.

Belinda W C Ommering, Floris M Van Blankenstein, Merel van Diepen, Nelleke A Gruis, Ada Kool, Friedo W Dekker

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Belinda W C OmmeringCenter for Innovation in Medical Education, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-8673-4923
Floris M Van BlankensteinCenter for Innovation in Medical Education, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0518-4403
Merel van DiepenDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Nelleke A GruisDepartment of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Ada KoolDepartment of Educational Consultancy & Professional Development, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Friedo W DekkerCenter for Innovation in Medical Education, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionExtracurricular research programmes (ERPs) may contribute to reducing the current shortage in physician-scientists, but usually select students based on grades only. The question arises if students should be selected based on their motivation, regardless of their previous academic performance. Focusing on grades and lacking to take motivation into account when selecting students for ERPs might exclude an important target group when aiming to cultivate future physician-scientists. Therefore, this study compared ERP students with lower and higher previous academic performance on subsequent academic performance, ERP performance, and motivational factors.

methodsProspective cohort study with undergraduate medical students who filled in a yearly questionnaire on motivational factors. Two student groups participating in an ERP were compared: students with first-year grade point average (GPA) ≥7 versus <7 on a 10-point grading scale. Linear and logistic regressions analyses were used to compare groups on subsequent academic performance (i.e. third-year GPA, in-time bachelor completion), ERP performance (i.e. drop-out, number of credits), and motivational factors (i.e. intrinsic motivation for research, research self-efficacy beliefs, perceptions of research, curiosity), while adjusting for gender and motivational factors at baseline.

resultsThe <7 group had significantly lower third-year GPA, and significantly higher odds for ERP drop-out than the ≥7 group. However, there was no significant between-group difference on in-time bachelor completion and the <7 group was not inferior to the ≥7 group in terms of intrinsic motivation for research, perceptions of research, and curiosity.

conclusionsSince intrinsic motivation for research, perceptions of research, and curiosity are prerequisites of future research involvement, it seems beneficial to focus on motivation when selecting students for ERPS, allowing students with lower current academic performance to participate in ERPs as well.

Indexed as

Academic PerformanceFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMotivationPhysiciansProspective StudiesResearchSchool Admission CriteriaSelf EfficacyStudents, MedicalSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID34797859
PMCPMC8604306

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.