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Evaluation of the Intensive Research Elective Course (IREC)

This study evaluates the impact of an intensive research course on dental students' skills, critical thinking, and career advancement. Findings showcase significant improvements in abilities and effectiveness of formal research programs in dental education.

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Evaluation of the Intensive Research Elective Course (IREC)

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  1. Evaluation of the Intensive Research Elective Course (IREC) Afaf Hourani MS, MPH Lindsay Demers MS, PhD Health Sciences Education MS Program GMS, BU School of Medicine

  2. Outline • Introduction • Communications and Responsibilities • Description of the Intervention • Materials & Methods • Evaluation • Results • Discussion and Conclusion

  3. Introduction • Lack of Dental Health Researchers • Need to Train Dental Students in Research • Advance Careers • Translate Research Findings into Bedside • Ensure Evidence-based Practice Reaches Clinical Setting Schools Incorporated Informal Research Programs Other Proactive Schools Created Formal Curricular and Extra-curricular Programs

  4. Issues Encountered & Solution • Time with Curricular Activities • Curriculum Very Dense • Students Need to Do Extra Work to Achieve Success • Intensive Research Elective Course IREC was Created • Goal to Provide Intense, Structured Research Experience throughout Dental Education • Mentored Research • Completed Project

  5. Communications & Responsibilities

  6. Description of the Intervention • IREC Experience Enhances Critical Thinking Skills • Participate Research-related Activities, Meetings • Train n Design and Execution of Scientific Studies • Gain Better Understanding of Innovative Dental Techniques, Material & Tools • Develop Analytical Thinking Abilities • Become Informed Dental Clinician • Improve Eligibility to Academic Appointments • Contribute to Dental Literature • Publish • Showcase Accomplishments at Local, National and International Meetings

  7. Intervention • Students Complete Pre-survey – 20 Criteria • Students Complete Mentored Project • Students Complete Post-survey – Same Criteria • Mentors Complete Post-assessment – Similar Criteria • IRB Approval • Data Evaluated Using SPSS – Non-parametric Sign Tests • Using alpha .05 Test Statistics, 2 Tailed Exact Significant

  8. Materials & Methods • Data from 48 Dental Students 2012-2018 • Questionnaires 20 5-Point Lickert Scale Questions • Students Self-assessed at the Beginning and at End of Training • Mentors Assessed Students at the End of Training Using Similar Criteria

  9. Evaluation • Series of Non-parametric Sign Tests to Compare Pre and Post Responses • Triangulation with Mentors’ Assessments for Bias in Self-assessments • Data Evaluated Using SPSS – Non-parametric Sign Tests • Using alpha .05 Test Statistics, 2 Tailed Exact Significant

  10. Results • Pre and Post Test Results Showed Significant Improvement in Student Skills and Abilities • Using alpha .05 Test Statistics 2-Tailed Exact Significant • Results from Mentors Showed Significance

  11. Table 2: Results of Pre- and Post- Analysis of student questionnaires

  12. Table 3. Mentor Assessment of Student Skills

  13. Conclusion • Incorporating Formal Research Programs Into Curriculum is Doable • Showed Effectiveness in the Short Term • What I learnt is to Follow-up with IREC Participants to See if IREC was effective in the Long-term Through Changes in Research Interests and Career Paths

  14. Limitations – How to do it Differently • Convenient Sample Rather than Random – Students who Signed Up May be More Likely to Invest Time to Succeed • Pre- and Post were Self-assessed -Lack of Validity • Triangulation with Mentor’s Assessments Did Lend Validity by Triangulation • Author had Access to Information as Part of her Role in the Program

  15. References: • D'Souza RN and Colombo JS. 2017. How Research Training Will Shape the Future of Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research. J Dent Educ81(9): eS73-eS82. • Doherty EH, Karimbux NY and Kugel G. 2016. Creation and Initial Outcomes of a Selective Four-Year Research Program for Predoctoral Dental Students. J Dent Educ80(12): 1405-1412. • Emrick JJ and Gullard A. 2013. Integrating research into dental student training: a global necessity. J Dent Res92(12): 1053-1055. • Warner B, Londry R. Baloue K. and Lee J. 2010. The need for research in the predoctoral dental education. J Am Coll Dent77(3): 23-25. • Guven Y and Uysal O. 2011. The importance of student research projects in dental education. Eur J Dent Educ15(2): 90-97. • Scott JE, de Vries J and Lacopino AM. 2008. 25-year analysis of a dental undergraduate research training program (BSc Dent) at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Dentistry. J Dent Res87(12): 1085-1088. • Nalliah RP, Lee MK, Da Silva JD and Allareddy V. 2014. Impact of a research requirement in a dental school curriculum. J Dent Educ78(10): 1364-1371. • Holman SD, Wietecha MS, Gullar A and Peterson JM. 2014. U.S. dental students' attitudes toward research and science: impact of research experience. J Dent Educ78(3): 334-348.

  16. Thank You for Your Attention

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