The Impact of Extracurricular Research Training on Palestinian Medical Students’ Confidence in Their Research Skills

Background Although curricular research training is a critical component of undergraduate medical education, the potential added value of extracurricular research activities remains inadequately investigated. This cross-sectional online survey-based study investigates the impact of combining curricular and extracurricular research training versus curricular training alone on undergraduate medical students’ confidence in their research skills, aiming to identify more effective approaches. Methods A cross-sectional study using the Students’ Confidence in Basic Research Skills Questionnaire was conducted. This newly developed instrument comprises 14 items, each rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Content validity was established by a panel of experts in medical education and research assessment. Pilot testing preceded data collection. Snowball sampling was used to collect responses from 633 clinical-phase students at five of seven medical schools in Palestine. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, general linear model (GLM), and binary logistic regression. Results Students who received combined training ( n = 394) reported higher mean confidence scores than those receiving curricular training alone ( n = 239) (40.1 vs 32.9, p < 0.001); however, both groups scored below the benchmark for adequate confidence. In the GLM, extracurricular training, prior research involvement, and prior publication were independently associated with higher confidence, while fifth-year students reported lower scores than sixth-year students. Gender was not significantly associated. In the sensitivity analysis, prior publication emerged as the only independent factor associated with adequate confidence (aOR = 3.87, 95% CI 1.13, 13.2, p = 0.031). Conclusion Combining curricular and extracurricular research training was associated with higher confidence in research skills, yet overall confidence remained suboptimal. Experiential engagement—particularly completing and publishing research—appears central to developing high-level confidence. These findings underscore the need for integrated, practice-oriented research training that enables authentic participation across the full research process, especially in resource-limited educational settings.