Formation of Research Competencies in the Field of Pediatrics Among Students Studying in the Specialty “General Medicine”

Abstract

Pediatrics is not a specialized field for most graduates of the “General Medicine” specialty, however, at the Ural State Medical University (USMU) students have the opportunity to participate in the work of Student Scientific Society (SSS). It is the creativity of students that contributes to the development of the scientific activities of the department. Therefore, it is important to find ways to motivate students to take part in SSS work.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the activities of SSS of the USMU Department of Pediatric Diseases, and to identify the motivations of students for participating in research activities in order to improve the effectiveness of the SSS.
Materials and methods. An analysis was conducted of the criteria for choosing the topic, object and subject of research work by students based on the results of questionnaires they filled out, as well as an analysis of the literature used by students in preparing reports for SSS meetings, and the dynamics of the number of published scientific articles by students, including those co-authored with teachers for the period from 2016/2017 to 2023/2024 academic years. A questionnaire was developed using Google Forms to survey 4^th–6^th year students.
Results. 191 people participated in the survey, including 74 4^th year students (39 %), 54 5^th year students (28 %) and 33 6^th year students (18 %), also 30 graduates (15 %). When choosing research topics, objects or subjects, most students (77.8 %) were guided by interest in a specific field of medicine, while 66.7 % chose a subject.; 48.5 % — associated the study with a future profession. 81.5 % of respondents noted that scientific activity helped in choosing a further direction of professional activity.
Conclusion. An analysis of work at the SSS of the USMU Department of Pediatric Diseases shows a high level of student engagement in research activities. The main motivation for students’ scientific work is professional interest, the opportunity to add to their portfolio, increase their personal achievements and get bonuses from the department.

Acknowledgments
The authors express special gratitude to the students of the USMU Institute of Clinical Medicine A. N. Gridina, G. S. Dresvyankin, S. V. Ozornina, M. D. Anferova, P. A. Tebeneva for their participation in creating a questionnaire using Google Forms and their interest in this survey study among 4^th–6^th year students.

For citation
Plotnikova IA, Zelentsova VL, Larionova LM, Nikolina EV, Myshinskaya OI, Safina EV, et al. Formation of research competencies in the field of pediatrics among students studying in the specialty “General Medicine”. USMU Medical Bulletin. 2024;(4):43–53. (In Russ.). EDN: https://elibrary.ru/HKDROB.