Extrinsic motives to encourage extracurricular research activities: a reminder call to medical schools in Saudi Arabia

At present, practice of clinical medicine is predominately dependent on proper application of "evidence-based medicine", which is in turn largely dependent on proficient acquisition of research skills.1 In fact, in the 21st century, research proficiency continues to be regarded as an indispensable skill for all forthcoming medical graduates.2 Moreover, graduating clinically-qualified and researchtrained medical professionals emerges as a crucial healthcare necessity. In line with the above-mentioned notions, there is a rapidly mounting propensity towards incorporating structured scientific research training into undergraduate medical education.1,3 There are two primary modes of integrating structured scientific research training into undergraduate medical education: (A) curricular, and (B) extracurricular. In developing and under-developing countries (including Saudi Arabia), optimal implementation of curricular research training remains fairly unachievable by medical schools.4,5 This problem is further compounded by the fact that extracurricular research activities remain largely unpopular by medical students. The latter phenomenon may be attributed, at least partly, to lack of adequate extrinsic motives at such medical schools. For medical students to productively participate in extracurricular research activities, intrinsic and extrinsic motives should be present. Intrinsic motives include: developing one’s research-specific and transferable skills, fulfilling an inquisitiveness to investigate scientific matters of interest, strengthening one’s resume and mapping out a strategy to ease acceptance into postgraduate education programs.2 Although intrinsic motives are important, they should be reinforced by complementary extrinsic motives in order to maximize engagement and optimize productivity in extracurricular research activities. Medical schools bear the foremost responsibility of providing extrinsic motives which push students towards excelling in extracurricular research activities. Unfortunately, despite playing pivotal roles, extrinsic motives are often neglected by medical schools in Saudi Arabia and are therefore, not paid their due attention. Herein, we briefly present our perspectives on potential extrinsic motives which ought to be in place at medical schools in Saudi Arabia, with the ultimate aim of encouraging medical students to take part in extracurricular research activities. We broadly divide these extrinsic motives into: (A) financial and (B) non-financial rewards.