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A 3-Year Retrospective Assessment of Student Research Competencies: a Mixed Methods Study of Medical School Graduates in Ecuador

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Abstract

Introduction

Scientific research is part of many medical curricula, and research opportunities have risen dramatically during the last decade. However, no uniform assessment tool has been available to properly evaluate research core competencies (RCC) at different levels.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the RCC of the medical students who graduated from Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) during the period 2009–2012 using an assessment tool completed by faculty on the thesis committee.

Methodology

Either the chair or a member of a thesis committee was asked to complete an evaluation form consisting of a quantitative and a qualitative section. Using a five-point Likert scale, the quantitative section was designed to evaluate the core competencies identified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The qualitative section survey was analyzed through a thematic analysis.

Results

A total of nine researchers collaborated in the evaluation of 51 theses (84 % of the sample). A value of 70 % or greater was selected to demonstrate student competency. Collectively, student projects demonstrated competence in professionalism, project understanding, attention to details, and communication, while technical skills, analytical, and critical abilities had a lower performance. These findings were also seen in the thematic analysis.

Conclusions

This analysis provided an opportunity to evaluate USFQ research core competencies and also provided insights that reinforced specific competencies in our medical curriculum.

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Abbreviations

USFQ:

Universidad San Francisco de Quito

ACGME:

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education

RCC:

Research core competencies

KCUMB:

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences

NA:

Not observed and unable to comment

SPSS:

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

UK:

United Kingdom

USA:

United States of America

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Natalia Olchanski, Brad Gardiner, and Jessica Paulus for their comments and suggestions, which led to an improvement in the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador

    C. Solano de la Sala, P. Endara & I. Sisa

  2. Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Kansas City, USA

    L. R. Adkison

  3. Trinity School of Medicine, Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, West Indies

    L. R. Adkison

  4. Clinical and Translational Science Graduate Program, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

    I. Sisa

Authors
  1. C. Solano de la Sala
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Correspondence to I. Sisa.

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Solano de la Sala, C., Adkison, L.R., Endara, P. et al. A 3-Year Retrospective Assessment of Student Research Competencies: a Mixed Methods Study of Medical School Graduates in Ecuador. Med.Sci.Educ. 26, 239–246 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-016-0244-9

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