A 3-Year Retrospective Assessment of Student Research Competencies: a Mixed Methods Study of Medical School Graduates in Ecuador

Introduction: Scientific research is part of many medical curricula, and research opportunities have risen dramatically during the last decade. However, no uniform assessment tool has been available to properly evaluate research core competencies (RCC) at different levels. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the RCC of the medical students who graduated from Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) during the period 2009–2012 using an assessment tool completed by faculty on the thesis committee. Methodology: Either the chair or a member of a thesis committee was asked to complete an evaluation form consisting of a quantitative and a qualitative section. Using a five-point Likert scale, the quantitative section was designed to evaluate the core competencies identified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The qualitative section survey was analyzed through a thematic analysis. Results: A total of nine researchers collaborated in the evaluation of 51 theses (84 % of the sample). A value of 70 % or greater was selected to demonstrate student competency. Collectively, student projects demonstrated competence in professionalism, project understanding, attention to details, and communication, while technical skills, analytical, and critical abilities had a lower performance. These findings were also seen in the thematic analysis. Conclusions: This analysis provided an opportunity to evaluate USFQ research core competencies and also provided insights that reinforced specific competencies in our medical curriculum.