Investigation of the research competence of applicants enrolling into doctoral programs in healthcare professions: a cross-sectional study (Preprint)

Abstract

Understanding the research competence of incoming doctoral students in healthcare is crucial for ensuring the quality and effectiveness of future healthcare research. By addressing gaps in research competency early in their academic careers, doctoral programs can better equip students to tackle the complex challenges facing the healthcare industry. The study investigates the research competency of incoming doctoral students in the healthcare field.

To assess the level of research competence of applicants (residency and master's programs graduates) who plan to pursue doctoral studies in healthcare specialties.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 resident and master students and graduates who are willing to pursue Ph.D. study in the healthcare sector from 1st November 2023 till 16th February 2024. Prospective Ph.D. candidates represent all seven medical universities of Kazakhstan. Level of research competencies was assessed by the 31-item questionnaire "Research competence of postgraduate students" [1]. This questionnaire consists of three domains - "knowledge", "skills" and "attitudes". A multifactorial regression analysis was applied to ensure the reliability of the obtained results.

The participant’s average age is 27.8 years (SD ±4.3). Of these, 353 (70.6%) are women and 147 (29.4%) are men. Most of them (350 (70.0%)) are residents, 92 (18.4%) - master students of 1st and 2nd years. Study results demonstrate that the main gaps in research competence in “knowledge” domain are the defining relevant theories of research and statistical methods understanding. In “skills” domain - lack of study planning skills, development of conceptual research model and identifying proper statistical method. In “attitude” domain - the respondents' greatest source of stress stems from the need to conduct research. The comparing domains between residents and master's students a statistically significant difference was found in the 'knowledge' domain (p<0.001) and the 'skills' domain (p<0.001). In assessing the overall mean value of research competency levels among candidates applying for admission to a Ph.D. program, it was found to be 85.9 points among master's students, corresponding to a high level, while among residents it was 80.3, corresponding to an average level of research competency.

While respondents demonstrate high and moderate levels of research competency in articulating objectives and relevance, further training is required in areas such as applying theories, selecting methodology, and conducting statistical analysis of data. The stress associated with research underscores the importance of providing participants with sufficient resources and support. These findings might inform the development of a pre-Ph.D. educational program in healthcare specialties.