Clinical audits: A realistic research opportunity for medical students

Dear Sir

The ‘Tomorrow's Doctors’ guidelines, published by the General Medical Council in the UK, states that graduating medical students should be able to ‘apply the scientific method’ and ‘evaluate and integrate evidence critically’ (General Medical Council 2009). Involvement in research can aid medical students achieve these skills, foster scientific thought and produce doctors that practice evidence-based medicine. Although some opportunities for research exist in the undergraduate medical curricula, such as the option of undertaking an intercalated degree, a recent study found that an astonishing 55% of British medical students had not taken part in any research due to the ‘lack of knowledge about opportunities’ (Griffin & Hindocha 2011).

Involving medical students in clinical audits being undertaken by doctors is a realistic opportunity for students to undertake research. An audit is a systematic review of the quality of medical care and measures the extent of implementation of best practice, as defined by national guidelines, research, or expert opinion. It is an instrumental tool for the practice of evidence-based medicine as it leads to improvements in clinical performance.

Participation in clinical audits allows students to learn and be acquainted with current clinical guidelines of the audit topic, to critically evaluate the findings of the audit, and to understand how these findings are used to bring about improvements in healthcare delivery. As participation in a clinical audit is part of the requirements for completion of the Foundation Programme for a junior doctor in the UK, medical students also benefit by familiarising themselves early with the audit cycle process that they will inevitably have to undertake in future. Moreover, the prospect of a publication or presentation at a national conference may encourage students to wholeheartedly participate in audits. With the ever-increasing competition for post-graduate jobs, publications and presentations act as discriminatory factors in job selection.

As there is never a lack of audits being undertaken in the clinical setting, we urge medical educators and clinicians to involve and recruit medical students to assist in data collection, analysis and write up process of the audits. By encouraging medical student involvement in audits, medical educators will not only equip their students with skills that generate doctors with first-hand experience of evidence-based medicine, but also promote interest in clinical academic careers.