Strengthening undergraduate medical research in India: The case for mandatory publication and basic course in biomedical research integration

Dear Editor,

India has 778 medical colleges with 117,825 MBBS seats and 61,879 postgraduate medical seats, but compared to their overseas counterparts, a small percentage of Indian institutes produce research publications.^1,2

The Basic Course in Biomedical Research (BCBR), a standardized methodological course administered by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Epidemiology, was mandated by the National Medical Commission (NMC) to fill this academic gap.² In India, residents must conduct original research for their theses and publish research articles in accordance with the NMC. The policy also stipulates that faculty members must engage in research publications to be eligible for appointments and promotions within medical colleges.²

BCBR helped submit more research proposals and foster a research culture in their workplace, in addition to increasing the number of research publications in reputable journals.² These results lend credence to the notion that BCBR fosters a research culture among the Indian medical community in addition to meeting regulatory criteria.²

The Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) curriculum does not sufficiently foster undergraduates’ research skills.³ Most medical college administrators are not interested in the research topics their students are exploring. Rather than being part and parcel of medical education, most medical college authorities consider student research an “extracurricular” activity.³

The Indian government has offered limited two-month short-term student research fellowships to medical students through the Indian Council for Medical Research. However, this initiative is insignificant.⁴

In 1995, the College of Medicine at Drew University developed a program that required medical students to complete a research project as part of their primary care clerkship.³ All Mayo Medical School students enroll in a scientific writing course in their sophomore and junior years. Each student writes a mini-thesis later in their second year. They prepare a paper for submission to a scientific journal by reporting on work completed in a clinical or laboratory research project during their junior year.⁵

We propose that all medical students be required to publish in a medical journal, whether as an article, case report, letter to the editor, or any other contribution, provided it is published in a journal with a valid ISSN number and indexed in Google Scholar. Journals with liberal submission criteria should be considered to make this more accessible to students.

A study on student views on the Mentored Students Project in Indian medical schools reported that about 61% of students agreed that research projects should be mandatory for completing the MBBS program.³

Furthermore, we recommend making the BCBR course mandatory for undergraduate MBBS students, with liberal pass criteria, to ensure widespread participation. Countries like Canada have successfully implemented research projects for their medical students, and India, with its vast medical education system, is well-positioned to follow suit.

This initiative would not only foster research and innovation but also increase the number of medical journals, with many colleges starting their own publications. By implementing such policies, India could become a leader in medical research and publication, surpassing many other advanced countries. This would significantly benefit the health sector in India. Thus, the compulsory research program provides students with research experience.