Research at an Undergraduate Level - An Insight into its Importance

Copyright © 2016 CEA& INEA. Published online by NepJOL-INASP. www.nepjol.info/index.php/NJE As the world of medicine stands today, on the strong feet of progress, with head held as high as the sky of its boundless limits, and an inherent desire to know, some would say we've come too far. Some others would say we haven't come far enough. This world has wonders that no number of encyclopaedias can even come close to contain. As the seasoned, experienced fathers of modern medicine look through the key -hole of the mysterious house of untouched and unseen knowledge, the little toddlers the undergraduate medical students in medicine run around in circles, still searching for the address. What they lack in knowledge, given their level of training they more than make up for in character, for without discipline, confidence and hope we all know deep down that none of us would have made it through medical school. . Through the subtleties of the practice of medicine and interaction with real human lives and emotions, it's easy to underestimate the importance of research. More so, for the undergraduate who not only is bestowed upon the herculean task of mastering the demanding medical curriculum, but also to excel in other co-curricular activities such as sports to meet the bar for excellence in today’s ever competitive world. While there may be an entire lesson on methods and techniques that one can learn for discovering new information through research, there is more than that meets the eye. DisciplineThrough the meticulous procedural format of conducting a research project, right from its inception to the possible formulation of a hypothesis, one important quality that research imparts to the student is discipline. The slow search for answers is a long and arduous journey and research tames the impatience that any and every doctor seems to have inside, only to help in the future in matters of health care in this modern world. . KnowledgeIt's unlimited. It's vibrant. The lesser we know at the end of each day, there is infinitely more to know the next. With a research project, answers to many questions can be obtained. And the difficulty of achieving it only helps in consolidating the new found knowledge into memory with lesser effort. . VisionThe horizon of human existence is a place which, in reality, does not exist. Just as the curious mind of a toddler tries to question the physics and biology of every object and being, an undergraduate develops the broad mind and vision to see beyond what is apparent. If one is to find new objects, he has to look outside the box he is placed in. CertaintySeek and you shall find, is what is usually said. The importance of research is telling us what we are seeking. We cannot find what we don't know we're looking for. The multitude of research projects that have already been done act as a guide to help the undergraduate student of medicine further the cause of the original thinker and create a more concrete road to progress. . ConfidenceEvery research project, on its completion, needs an audience. The investigator thus develops an integral quality, necessary to be an efficient doctor. The ease with which the results of a research can be effectively Correspondence: Dr. Ritesh G Menezes, Professor, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Email: [email protected] Received 24 March 2016/Revised 26 March 2016/Accepted 29 March 2016 Citation: Ram P, Sethi A, Madadin M, Menezes RG. Research at an undergraduate level An insight into its