Long-Term Research and Academic Outcomes Among Graduates of a Medical Student Research Programme: A Cross-Sectional Survey.
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
- 2The Regional Centre for Emergency Medical Research and Development in Western Norway (RAKOS), Stavanger, Norway.
- 3Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
- 4Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
- 5Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
- 6Department of Internal Medicine, Drammen Hospital, Drammen, Norway.
Abstract
The Medical Student Research Programme (MSRP) was established in Norway in 2002 to recruit medical students into research and academic medicine. We aimed to describe long-term research and academic outcomes among former MSRP participants. We conducted an online cross-sectional survey. The study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway. All 262 alumni who had participated in the MSRP (2002-2024) and graduated before July 2024 were invited. The primary endpoint was PhD completion. Secondary endpoints were recent publication, supervision, research leadership, academic appointment and self-identified research activity. Outcomes were self-reported and are presented with 95% confidence intervals (CI), overall and by time since graduation. Median time since graduation was 8 years (IQR 5-13). Overall, 71 of 133 (53%, 95% CI 45-62) had completed a PhD and 17 (13%) were PhD candidates. PhD graduates (n = 61) obtained their doctorate a median of 4 years (IQR 3-6) after graduation, at a median age of 31 years. Sixty respondents (45%, 95% CI 37-54) had published within the past two years. Excluding current PhD candidates, 47 of 116 (41%, 95% CI 32-50) identified as active researchers and 20 of 116 (17%, 95% CI 11-25) held an academic appointment. PhD completion rose from 2 of 27 (7%) among those <5 years from graduation to 19 of 21 (90%) among those ≥15 years, and PhD supervision from 0 of 27 to 10 of 21 (48%). Two thirds of responding MSRP alumni had completed or were undertaking a PhD, typically within a few years of graduation, and research involvement extended well beyond doctoral training. These findings describe outcomes among survey respondents; comparative studies are needed to determine the programme's contribution.
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BibTeX
@article{leto2026longterm,
title = {{Long-Term Research and Academic Outcomes Among Graduates of a Medical Student Research Programme: A Cross-Sectional Survey.}},
author = {Nedim Leto and Anna Therese Bjerkreim and Anne Berit Guttormsen and Karl Erik Müller},
journal = {Advances in medical education and practice},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.2147/amep.s638044},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999831},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Long-Term Research and Academic Outcomes Among Graduates of a Medical Student Research Programme: A Cross-Sectional Survey.
AU - Nedim Leto
AU - Anna Therese Bjerkreim
AU - Anne Berit Guttormsen
AU - Karl Erik Müller
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - Advances in medical education and practice
DO - 10.2147/amep.s638044
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999831
AB - The Medical Student Research Programme (MSRP) was established in Norway in 2002 to recruit medical students into research and academic medicine. We aimed to describe long-term research and academic outcomes among former MSRP participants. We conducted an online cross-sectional survey. The study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway. All 262 alumni who had participated in the MSRP (2002-2024) and graduated before July 2024 were invited. The primary endpoint was PhD completion. Secondary endpoints were recent publication, supervision, research leadership, academic appointment and self-identified research activity. Outcomes were self-reported and are presented with 95% confidence intervals (CI), overall and by time since graduation. Median time since graduation was 8 years (IQR 5-13). Overall, 71 of 133 (53%, 95% CI 45-62) had completed a PhD and 17 (13%) were PhD candidates. PhD graduates (n = 61) obtained their doctorate a median of 4 years (IQR 3-6) after graduation, at a median age of 31 years. Sixty respondents (45%, 95% CI 37-54) had published within the past two years. Excluding current PhD candidates, 47 of 116 (41%, 95% CI 32-50) identified as active researchers and 20 of 116 (17%, 95% CI 11-25) held an academic appointment. PhD completion rose from 2 of 27 (7%) among those <5 years from graduation to 19 of 21 (90%) among those ≥15 years, and PhD supervision from 0 of 27 to 10 of 21 (48%). Two thirds of responding MSRP alumni had completed or were undertaking a PhD, typically within a few years of graduation, and research involvement extended well beyond doctoral training. These findings describe outcomes among survey respondents; comparative studies are needed to determine the programme's contribution.
SN - 1179-7258
ER -