The Opinions, Willingness, and Obstacles to Research Participation of Medical Students in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Background: Medical research is recognized as a key component of current medical education. Engaging medical students in research has been shown to improve their knowledge and research abilities. The current study sought to assess medical science students’ perceptions and obstacles toward performing scientific research in Saudi Arabia, in addition to assessing their willingness to participate in research. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study. It was carried out using an online questionnaire and included Saudi medical students. Data were analyzed using Jamovi Software. The descriptive statistics were summarized using frequencies and percentages. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the associations between students’ perceptions of research benefits and their willingness to participate in research, as well as the barriers to medical student participation. Results: 320 students completed the survey. More than 59% of them were female, with 83.44% of them aged 22–24. Approximately 77% of the students felt that research is important for undergraduate medical science students, and 74.69% reported that they would participate in any available research opportunity. The biggest obstacles to student participation in research are inadequate direction and supervision (71.25%) and inadequate research training and assistance (71.56%). Conclusions: Most students in the study agreed that research activities are vital; however, there is a need to boost student participation in these activities. Thus, the hurdles identified in this study must be addressed to encourage students to participate in high-quality research in the studied field.