Conducting clinical research is an important goal for all medical students and doctors. This is a vital skill and it is expected that all clinicians engage in some form of research as part of their normal practice. Many people do not feel confident when it comes to conducting research projects. This article aims to present a brief overview of clinical research and how to get started.
Why is Clinical Research Important?
- Clinical research is important to help advance medical knowledge
- Conducting research will enhance your skills and improve your ability to understand and appraise research conducted by others
- Helps build your CV and improve your applications to training programs and prospective jobs
What Issues do Students and Doctors face when it comes to Clinical Research?
The majority of medical students and doctors are interested in conducting research but very few are actively persuing research projects. The most common reasons for not being involved in research include:
- Lack of time
- Lack of ideas for medical research projects
- Lack of training
- Lack of motivation
- Lack of incentives
- Lack of funding
- Lack of suitable supervisor(s)/ mentor(s)
- Lack of co-operation by university, staff or hospital
What are the Types of Research Students and Doctors can get involved in?
Research projects can be either Primary or Secondary Research.
- Primary Research involves using original data that you collected to answer your research question(s).
- Secondary Research involves using existing data collected and/or published by others to answer a new research question.
The types of research can also be broken into Clinical Research and Basic Science Research.
- Clinical Research involves patients and has clinical relevance.
- Basic Science Research refers to lab-based research and is more concerned with exploring biological phenomena and mechanisms.
The types of research can further be organised by Study Design.
What are the Steps in Conducting Clinical Research?
- Form a Research Project Idea
- Literature Review
- Form a Hypothesis
- Find out if there is any research funding available
- Plan the Research Protocol
- Ethical Approval
- +/- Pilot Study
- Data Collection
- Data Analysis
- Write a Report
- Present and Publish
How to get started in Clinical Research
To get started in clinical research you first need to ensure you have the time to commit to a project in the medium-to-long term. You should pick a field of study you are interested in and would like to work in in the future. You should then seek out a potential supervisor/ mentor who works in your desired field. Contact them to see if they have any projects they are working on/ would like to start. If they don’t, try asking them if they know a colleague who would be available to work with you.
Once you have a supervisor, you need to discuss potential research project ideas with them. Fesibility is the key as I have seen many people waste their time trying to conduct research projects that were unfesible from the beginning. If you end up doing a study that is not properly planned then it will be full of limitations, making it difficult to publish. A simple, well planned study is better than a poorly conducted, complicated project.
Hopefully your supervisor will be able to guide you through the research process and help you plan the specifics. If you need any advice on preparing your research protocol and study design, feel free to send me an email using the contact form or DM me on instagram @drmichaelhanrahan.