The objective of this study is to assess the extent to which palliative care content is integrated into occupational therapy education in Germany. In addition, the study will examine trainees’ and students’ knowledge, experiences and attitudes towards palliative care.

A cross-sectional quantitative survey study using a structured online questionnaire.

Institutions and universities across Germany that offer training in occupational therapy.

A total of 451 subjects completed the survey (89.4% female). Of these, 91.4% were trainees at vocational schools, while 8.6% were university students. The inclusion criteria stipulated that subjects must be enrolled in an occupational therapy programme in Germany at the time of data collection.

Not applicable.

The primary outcomes of the study were knowledge, educational experience and attitudes towards palliative care among occupational therapy trainees and students. Secondary outcomes encompassed practical experience with palliative care patients and expressed interest in further training.

A total of 451 occupational therapy trainees and students participated in the survey. The majority of participants (89.4%) were female and in training (91.4%). Although 90.8% had no previous medical training, 69.2% could define palliative care and 92.6% were familiar with the concept of a hospice. However, 68.1% of respondents reported that they had not received any teaching on palliative care as part of their occupational therapy training. A strong interest in further education in this area was expressed by 95.1%. Only 23.9% had practical experience with palliative clients, mainly in nursing homes.

A substantial discrepancy exists between the recognised importance of palliative care and its representation in occupational therapy education. The findings underline the necessity for a more robust and methodical incorporation of palliative care into occupational therapy curricula. This integration is crucial to ensure that trainees and students are adequately equipped with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to provide support to seriously ill and dying patients.

DRKS00033464.

To explore the barriers and facilitators in adherence to the guidelines in the management of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo from the perspective of primary care physicians.

Qualitative study using focus groups.

L’Hospitalet del Llobregat (Barcelona), Spain.

Qualitative study using focus groups. Structured 90 min focus groups were conducted until data saturation was reached. Each session included a moderator and an observer from the research team. Sessions were transcribed and thematically analysed by three independent researchers.

Purposeful sampling was used to form four groups of 4–10 participants, selected by sex, age, years of experience and primary care team (PCT). Participants were recruited between January and February 2023.

A total of 34 family physicians belonging to four PCTs participated in the study. The main barriers identified were a lack of time, negative initial experiences, a fear of harming patients (especially older adults), difficulty in nystagmus visualisation and challenges in managing patient expectations, as many preferred medication over physical manoeuvres. Facilitators included potential time savings from effective early management, the value of initial practical training with periodic refreshers, access to expert consultants for case discussions and the availability of digital tools, such as tutorials, videos and aids for nystagmus interpretation.

Health systems should invest in protected time for history-taking and physical examination, and in regular, updated training for primary care professionals. This could improve vertigo management and reduce unnecessary investigations and medications, ultimately benefiting both patients and the healthcare system.

Women doctors face considerable challenges navigating family planning, pregnancy and motherhood. Their experiences can have relevance for health system functioning, including doctor retention. This scoping review synthesises research on family planning, fertility, pregnancy and motherhood among women doctors in the EU and the UK.

Scoping review conducted according to JBI best practice guidance.

MEDLINE, CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, PsycInfo and Web of Science were searched, and supplemented with backwards and forwards citation chasing.

Peer-reviewed, original research, in English, focusing on either fertility and family planning, pregnancy and/or motherhood among women doctors in an EU country(s) and/or the UK.

Data were extracted independently by two authors. Data were synthesised using deductive content analysis and collated using narrative synthesis.

In total, 34 studies were identified. Family planning appears complicated by medical careers. Medical specialty choice is particularly impacted, with certain specialties (eg, General Practice) considered particularly family friendly and others markedly less so. Pregnancy complications among women doctors, especially surgeons, were documented. However, women doctors’ and non-doctors’ pregnancy outcomes were overall not significantly different. Notably, doctor-mothers had fewer children and were more likely to report making compromises or facing negative consequences when balancing family and career than doctor-fathers.

Women doctors in the EU and UK report challenges in balancing work and motherhood. With the potential for their experiences to impact on health system functioning and patient outcomes, training bodies and health organisations should take proactive action to better support women doctors and ensure they can remain in the profession and practice in their desired specialty. Future research examining working practices/schedules during pregnancy, breastfeeding experiences, parenting and childcare and maternal mental health will support a better understanding of women doctors’ experiences and facilitate implementation of effective supports.

This research aimed to explore student paramedics’ experiences of participating in group-based simulation activities used as part of their summative assessment. It sought to understand their perceptions of the effectiveness of group-based simulation in fostering learning and informing future assessment design.

A qualitative questionnaire-based study.

A UK higher education institution.

A total of 34 first-year (level 4) student paramedics from the September 2022 to September 2023 cohorts.

Following the completion of a summative assessment for the introduction to non-technical skills and simulation module, students were invited to reflect on their experiences of group-based simulation through an online questionnaire. The assessment incorporated team-based simulation scenarios intended to evaluate non-technical competencies within a realistic and supportive environment.

Four key themes emerged through thematic analysis of the responses: experiential learning; autonomous learning; reflective learning; and support and learning. These themes provide insights into the pedagogical value of group-based simulation, with students identifying both individual and collective benefits in developing non-technical skills within a group assessment framework.

Group-based simulation assessments enhance student engagement and promote collaborative decision-making in a context that mimics real paramedic practice. While students often associate realism with increased confidence, their experiences highlight complex interactions between perceived fidelity, assessment pressure and learning. This underscores the need to further investigate how group dynamics and authenticity influence learning outcomes in assessment-focused simulations.

To examine the impact of the extent of education and/or training on sex trafficking among healthcare, social and community service providers and the impact of education and/or training on their capacity to respond to sex trafficked persons.

Cross-sectional survey.

An anonymous, online survey assessing perceptions of, and capacity to respond to, sex trafficking was distributed between February and August 2023 via social media platforms and with professional healthcare, social service and community associations and organisations across Canada to share with their members.

553 healthcare, social and community service providers.

Seven 6-point Likert scale items were used, as part of a larger survey, to measure capacity to respond to sex trafficking. Specifically, respondents were asked to rate their awareness of red flags and capacity to identify, talk to, interview, enhance the safety of, provide appropriate resources or referrals for and collaborate with other professionals to support sex trafficked persons.

Although most respondents (86.8%) reported having received some education and/or training on sex trafficking, the vast majority (94.8%) believed that they would benefit from additional education and/or training. Compared with those with no previous sex trafficking education and/or training, those who received less than 5 hours of education and/or training (b=3.56, p

As the number of hours of education and/or training on sex trafficking increased, so did respondents’ capacity to respond to sex trafficked persons. These results highlight a need for more education and training to help build capacity among healthcare, social and community service providers in identifying sex trafficked persons and providing appropriate care. Appropriately trained service providers can better support sex trafficked persons’ complex needs and potentially mitigate adverse outcomes.

This study aims to create a comprehensive model for shaping well-being and healthy habits at work through tailored training in physical activity among remote or hybrid workers.

This is a three-arm randomised controlled trial designed to assess the effects of tailored and general physical activity interventions compared with a no-intervention control group. It is assumed that both types of physical activity (general and tailored) might reduce musculoskeletal problems and presenteeism and improve well-being in a short time. However, a tailored type of training, prepared to reduce pain in specific muscles associated with long-term sedentary work, along with a detailed explanation of how exercises influence the muscles, will allow the development of healthy work habits and decrease negative symptoms in a long-term period. Therefore, short-term effects on well-being, presenteeism and musculoskeletal problems will be tested immediately after training and long-term ones—3 months after the end of the training. Well-being at work, presenteeism, work habits and workstations will be measured using research questionnaires. The level of musculoskeletal complaints will also be assessed using a standardised questionnaire specifying the location and the level of pain caused by the ailments. In addition, objective assessment tools will be used—electromyography (measuring the level of fatigue of specific muscles) and myotonometry (determining the level of muscle stiffness).

The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (the Rector’s Commission on Research Ethics at the Wroclaw University of Economics and Business; Ethical Committee Decision number: 10/2025) and will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. The findings of this research will be disseminated in the original article.

ACTRN12624001311549.

The growing complexity of global health issues underscores the need for a skilled workforce, achievable through competency-based training (competency-based curricula, CBC) that integrates knowledge and practice. Starting from 2022, medical and nursing CBC were harmonised across universities in Tanzania to ensure all graduates attain nationally defined core competencies. The reform aligned programme structure, learning outcomes and assessment methods to promote consistency and interprofessional collaboration. However, questions remain about whether harmonisation alone can ensure the development of practical clinical competencies among students. This study explored the experiences of medical and nursing faculty and students in implementing clinical training as a component of CBC in two health training institutions in Tanzania.

An exploratory qualitative case study was conducted with 67 participants, using 8 in-depth interviews with administrators and 8 focus group discussions with faculty and students. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic approach.

Two private, faith-based medical universities in the United Republic of Tanzania.

The study purposefully recruited a total of 67 participants. The participants included university administrators (including Deputy Vice Chancellors for Academics, quality assurance officers and deans), medical and nursing faculty and students (fourth-year medical and third-year nursing students).

Two main themes emerged: challenges in implementing clinical training and strategies used to enforce clinical training. Key challenges included curriculum design gaps, inadequate faculty and clinical instructors, a large number of students and a shortage of hospital staff. Strategies used were utilisation of clinical skills and simulation laboratories, involvement of non-academic clinical specialists’ staff, use of student-centred learning methodologies and leveraging regional, district and specialised private hospitals for clinical teaching.

Despite notable challenges in clinical training, the institutions in this study have implemented proactive strategies to support clinical training. Based on the findings, stakeholders should invest in increasing faculty and clinical instructors and expanding clinical placements to regional, district and private hospitals.

To explore the challenges and opportunities in clinical skills teaching and learning among faculty, final-year medical students and patients at a private medical university in Pakistan, within the context of a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) medical education system.

An exploratory descriptive qualitative design using inductive thematic analysis utilising in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, framed within a metaphorical lens.

A single private-sector tertiary care teaching hospital and affiliated undergraduate medical college in an urban setting in Pakistan.

A total of 48 participants were included in the study: 12 clinical faculty members representing various disciplines and levels of experience, 16 final-year medical students and 10 house officers and 10 patients from adult inpatient wards. Participants were purposively selected to ensure maximum variation in perspectives.

Six key metaphorical themes emerged, each reflecting both the challenges and opportunities within the clinical learning journey: (1) The Safety Harness—simulation as an opportunity for structured, risk-free skill development, yet limited by authenticity; (2) The Underwater Life—the irreplaceable but unpredictable nature of bedside learning in fostering empathy and communication; (3) The Stormy Seas—systemic and cultural barriers such as patient availability, gender constraints and limited faculty resources; (4) The Ship—students navigating self-development amid evolving expectations, digital distractions and shifting motivations; (5) The Engine Room Tools—balancing diverse teaching modalities while seeking optimal time distribution between simulation and bedside learning; and (6) The Guiding Compass—the pivotal role of clinical teachers as mentors and professional exemplars. Triangulated perspectives revealed that while structured simulation and bedside experiences complement one another, significant institutional, ethical and pedagogical challenges persist, many amplified by the realities of resource-limited LMIC settings.

This study underscores the complexities of clinical teaching and learning in an LMIC context, highlighting the need for a balanced, context-sensitive model that integrates simulation with authentic bedside exposure, supported by mentorship and reflective practice. Addressing structural and faculty-related barriers is essential to advancing equitable, patient-centred clinical education in resource-constrained environments.

This quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the impact of a flipped classroom (FC) combined with case-based learning (CBL) on the academic performance of first-year clinical medicine students in a human anatomy course in China, with a specific focus on higher-order cognitive skills and self-efficacy.

A quasi-experimental design was implemented, with participants randomly assigned to an intervention group (flipped classroom case learning (FCCL), n=64) or a control group (traditional lecture-based instruction, n=64). Learning outcomes and cognitive levels were compared between the two groups.

The study was conducted at a medical school in Meizhou, China, over an 18-week period. The curriculum covered the anatomy of nine major organ systems (excluding the nervous system).

A total of 128 first-year clinical medicine students participated. The FCCL group (63.5% male) had a mean age of 19.13±1.351 years, and the traditional group (67.1% male) had a mean age of 19.33±1.481 years. No significant differences were found in gender (p=0.580) or age (p=0.414) between the groups.

The FCCL group engaged in pre-class activities via the ChaoXing platform, which included instructional videos, key concept outlines and clinical cases. In-class sessions were dedicated to group discussions, specimen practice and case analysis. The control group received traditional PowerPoint-based lectures and completed post-class assignments. Both groups were taught by the same instructors, shared identical learning objectives and used the same laboratory materials.

Outcomes included scores on a theoretical examination (TCE) and a laboratory examination (LCE), both designed based on Bloom’s taxonomy; responses on a self-efficacy questionnaire (incorporating Likert-scale and open-ended items); and qualitative analysis of reflective journals from the FCCL group.

No significant difference was observed in TCE scores between the FCCL and traditional groups (59.52%±15.67% vs 55.5%±14.31%, p=0.136). However, the FCCL group scored significantly higher on the LCE (65.94%±13.71% vs 57.27%±16.95%, p=0.004). Furthermore, the intervention group demonstrated superior performance on higher-order cognitive questions (application-type: +8%, p=0.036; analysis-type: +11%, p=0.009). Questionnaire results indicated that the FCCL approach enhanced students’ learning motivation, critical thinking and collaborative skills (mean Likert scores >4.5).

The integration of FC with CBL effectively enhanced medical students’ higher-order cognitive abilities in anatomy, particularly in practical application and analytical skills, although its effect on the short-term retention of theoretical knowledge was limited. This approach offers a viable pathway for reforming anatomy education, though future studies with larger samples and longer follow-up are warranted.

To assess the impact of gender, age, ethnicity and country of primary medical qualification (CoQ) on outcomes in the 2024 UK ST3 surgical national selection process.

Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of national recruitment data.

UK-wide ST3 surgical training recruitment.

2009 unique ST3 applicants to six surgical specialties (otolaryngology, plastic surgery, urology, paediatric surgery, trauma and orthopaedics and general surgery); neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery and oral and maxillofacial surgery were excluded.

Offer of a ST3 National Training Number (NTN).

CoQ was the strongest factor associated with success. International medical graduates had lower odds of receiving offers in all specialties, notably in general surgery (adjusted OR (aOR)=0.21, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.33, p

ST3 selection outcomes are primarily associated with CoQ. UK-trained applicants have a consistent advantage. Women remain less likely to be offered an NTN than men in Trauma and Orthopaedics. This analysis enables detailed and timely equity monitoring across surgical specialties and flags areas for intervention.

Psychiatrists’ first exposure to patient suicide often occurs during residency training. Previous research shows that experiencing a patient’s death by suicide during residency can have significant impacts on trainees’ well-being, self-esteem and approach to practice. However, existing research on this topic is mostly limited to survey-based data, which does not facilitate nuanced exploration. This study will use a qualitative approach to gain an in-depth understanding of Canadian psychiatry residents’ experiences of a patient’s death by suicide and the types of supports that may help trainees to process this loss and integrate this experience into their professional identity formation.

This study will conduct 15–25 semistructured qualitative interviews with psychiatry resident physicians across Canada to explore their experiences of patient loss by suicide during training. Interview data will be transcribed verbatim and analysed using the principles of Constructivist Grounded Theory.

The study findings will be reported and accessible to residency training programmes, the academic community, the media and the public.

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Board of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Protocol Identifying Number 2024/125).

Despite the growing volume of research in surgical education (SurgED), the integration of evidence into teaching practice remains fragmented and inconsistent. A structured and continuously updated synthesis is needed to support data-informed curriculum development and promote best practices across training programmes.

This protocol describes the development of a living systematic review and evidence map of SurgED research. Studies will be identified through comprehensive searches of CENTRAL, PubMed and Web of Science, and screened independently by two reviewers, supported by an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted screening tool to improve efficiency. Eligible studies will include both quantitative and qualitative designs involving medical students, surgical residents and faculty. Studies will be categorised across key educational domains such as simulation-based training, competency-based assessment, feedback, mentoring and technology-enhanced learning. The evidence map will be updated at least quarterly, with new studies screened and added in near real-time to ensure that the map remains current and actionable.

As this study does not involve human participants, ethical approval is not required. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, presentations at national and international conferences and open access integration into the Evidence at a glance (EVIglance) evidence platform.

Refugee and asylum-seeking (RAS) doctors benefit from specialised support to achieve medical registration, though there is limited published evidence from programmes supporting them. This study describes the outcomes of the Refugee and Asylum Seekers Centre for Healthcare Professionals Education (REACHE), a UK-based comprehensive language, clinical and professionalism skills training programme in supporting RAS doctors.

Prospective cohort study.

Single educational centre.

607 doctor learners admitted to the REACHE programme.

Learner characteristics, demographics and learning journeys (including duration studying and examination pass rates) and alumni outcomes (including registration, specialties obtained and practice locations).

Of 607 doctor learners having entered the programme, 109 are currently on the programme and 498 are alumni. Learners took a median 1.3 years between arriving in the UK and contacting REACHE, with a median 6.4 years of prior clinical experience. Learners had high first-attempt pass rates (≥85%) for occupational language and clinical examinations required for registration. Of the alumni, 258 (51.8%) completed the programme (median time of 2.1 years) and achieved registration for practice and National Health Service employment. Of those who left before completion, who had access to 10 year post-programme scaffolded support, nearly one quarter (53 of 228; 23.2%) also achieved registration. 82 alumni are on specialty registers.

Retraining programmes such as REACHE can effectively support RAS doctor requalification, providing the UK medical workforce with experienced professionals. Improved referral pathways, sustainable funding and incorporation into government health workforce strategies are expected to strengthen already substantial achievements of programmes such as REACHE.

Diagnostic errors affect patient safety and lead to high costs. Cognitive bias is a key source of diagnostic error, and the framing effect poses a particular clinical challenge. The extent to which individual factors affect susceptibility to the framing bias is unclear, and the role of expertise in particular is contested across the literature.

This study investigated the effects of framing bias on diagnostic reasoning among medical students. We hypothesised that the effects attributable to framing would be mediated by the number of years of medical education completed.

Participants were randomly assigned on an automated basis with allocation concealment to complete one of the two case vignettes consistent with pulmonary embolism (PE). The two versions contained objectively identical clinical data but varied semantically and ordinally to create differences in frame; one emphasised features consistent with PE, while the other did not. After evaluating the vignette, participants provided their top three differential diagnoses.

183 medical students (MS) completed the study (101 MS2, 42 MS3 and 40 MS4), of whom 29.5% identified PE as a diagnosis of interest. The likelihood of identifying PE differed based on the frame to which participants were exposed (p

Our results suggest that cognitive frame influences diagnostic reasoning, and that its effects may be mediated by years of medical education completed. These findings inform future targeted initiatives in undergraduate medical education.

Teleconsultation has gained significant traction due to advancements in information and communication technologies. While much attention has been given to physician-to-patient teleconsultation, the factors influencing physician-to-physician teleconsultation remain underexplored.

This scoping review aims to map and synthesise the existing evidence on the factors influencing physician-to-physician teleconsultation.

We included publications of all methodological designs that specifically addressed factors affecting physician-to-physician teleconsultation. Studies focusing primarily on physician-to-patient teleconsultation without sufficient detail on physician-to-physician components were excluded. The search was limited to articles published in English and Persian between 2014 and 2024.

Eight electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, etc) were searched from January 2014 to June 2024.

Data extraction was performed by two independent reviewers using a standardised form. Extracted data included study characteristics, key factors influencing teleconsultation and main findings.

From 12 included studies, five key influencing components were identified: ‘patient-related factors’, ‘medical team competencies’, ‘infrastructure and technology’, ‘timing factors’ and ‘planning and programme evaluation’. Among these, infrastructure and technology were the most frequently reported factors across the studies, while patient-related factors were less commonly addressed.

This review identifies a comprehensive set of factors that influence physician-to-physician teleconsultation. The findings provide a foundation for developing effective teleconsultation programmes and highlight the need for more research in diverse healthcare settings.

Interprofessional co-debriefing, whereby facilitators from different healthcare professional backgrounds jointly facilitate debriefings, is increasingly common in simulation-based education. This approach can enhance learning by incorporating diverse perspectives and distributing cognitive workload, but it may also expose tensions linked to professional identity, hierarchy and power dynamics between debriefers. While learner outcomes and debriefing strategies in general are well studied, little is known about faculty experiences of interprofessional co-debriefing or how sociocultural factors influence this practice. Addressing this gap is crucial to optimise faculty development and support effective interprofessional education. This study will qualitatively explore the experiences and perceptions of simulation educators engaged in interprofessional co-debriefing, with a focus on the influence of sociocultural factors on their practice.

This UK-based qualitative study will recruit up to 30 healthcare simulation educators with experience of interprofessional co-debriefing. Participants will be purposively sampled from simulation networks, centres and academic institutions, with snowball sampling to broaden reach. Semistructured interviews will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams, guided by a topic framework developed by the research team. Interviews will be audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and anonymised. Underpinned by constructivist and constructionist paradigms, data will be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach. Three researchers will independently code transcripts, with themes refined through iterative team discussions to ensure rigour and transparency.

Ethical approval has been granted by the University of Glasgow School of Medical and Life Sciences Ethics Committee (Ref No: 200240285). All participants will provide informed written consent, and data will be handled in accordance with data protection regulations. Findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and professional networks, with a summary provided to participants. This study will offer novel insights into the underexplored area of interprofessional co-debriefing, specifically how sociocultural dynamics may influence and shape practice, potentially informing faculty development and best practice moving forward.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of medical students involved in clinical work and learning under distant supervision, aiming to understand their adaptation, challenges and learning processes in the context of clinical uncertainty and reduced oversight.

This study employed a constructivist grounded theory (CGT). CGT was chosen for its strength in examining complex social interactions and uncovering emergent themes that are not fully explained by existing theoretical frameworks. Data were collected through 13 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with medical students who actively participated in clinical care under conditions of limited supervision and high responsibility.

Faculty of Medicine, Switzerland.

We conducted interviews with 13 medical students who worked in Mobile SWAB Teams during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students described a shift from observation to actively taking on a professional role. This experience provided a unique opportunity for medical students to apply their knowledge and skills in real-world settings, develop a sense of autonomy and foster personal growth. Acknowledging the importance of effective communication, teamwork and decision-making in providing patient care, they embraced the concept of self-regulated learning (SRL).

Creating a supportive learning environment that promotes SRL encourages collaboration and enables medical students to take on clinical tasks with increasing autonomy. In our study, working under distant supervision promoted reflection, strengthened communication and supported both clinical development and identity formation. This approach highlights the value of integrating supported responsibility and guided reflection into future models of clinical education.

We aimed to describe the current evidence for interventions to enhance gender equality and equity in academic medicine. We also wished to characterise the nature of the interventions, who delivered them and whether they seek to ‘fix the women’, or target issues at organisational and systemic levels.

We extracted data using a form developed for the study and applied the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) and Morahan frameworks to describe and characterise interventions. We used the Quality Assessment with Diverse Studies (QUADS) tool to critically appraise included studies.

We searched five electronic databases in November 2022 and August 2023 (Medline (OVID), Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Google Scholar) and undertook handsearching.

We included qualitative or quantitative original studies published in full that described any new intervention designed to enhance gender equality/equity in recruitment, retention or promotion in academic medicine. The settings were Schools/Faculties of Medicine in Higher Education Institutions. The population of interest was female clinical academics/physician scientists.

Data were extracted by one researcher using an Excel form specifically designed for this study with a second researcher applying the form to a subset of seven studies; significant agreement was achieved. Four researchers applied the TIDieR framework to the included studies. Due to the small number of studies and significant heterogeneity, it was not possible to perform a meta-analysis.

The search of electronic databases yielded 1747 studies. A further 62 were identified through handsearching. Following removal of duplicates, 764 articles were screened for eligibility, and 199 full-text articles were screened. Of these, 27 met the inclusion criteria.

The most commonly reported interventions were career development or leadership skills programmes, followed by mentorship and multifaceted interventions. Most papers reported positive findings, but many relied on subjective measures. Robustly designed studies often reported mixed findings. The majority of interventions aimed to ‘fix the women’, with few addressing inequality at organisational level.

Acknowledging the possibility of publication delay, we found that despite strong evidence of the negative effects of the pandemic on women’s research productivity, there were no new interventions designed to mitigate this. Many existing interventions create ‘institutional housekeeping’ by relying on women for their delivery. This can result in failure, especially during a crisis like COVID. Most studies were low to moderate quality. More robust research and a more holistic approach are needed, moving away from ‘fixing the women’ to address the organisational and systemic structures which underpin inequality.

CRD42023391086.

To identify and understand the barriers and enablers influencing medical students’ engagement with research and consideration of academic careers.

This was a mixed-methods explanatory sequential study comprising two surveys (Phase 1 and Phase 2), followed by semistructured interviews (Phase 3).

The School of Medicine at Newcastle University.

All students from all year groups at The School of Medicine, Newcastle University (UK) were invited to participate, with data collected from 343 survey respondents and 25 students in semistructured interviews.

Survey responses from 188 students in Phase 1 (exploratory survey) and 155 students in Phase 2 (general student survey) identified barriers which reflect personal experience (eg, lack of knowledge and confidence), practical constraints (eg, time constraints and academic pressures) and institutional contexts (eg, insufficient research teaching and lack of formal opportunities). Enablers included mentors and other sources of information about research.

Interview data emphasised that academic mentoring relationships are often emergent rather than planned. The limited visibility of research opportunities and of mentors was a significant barrier and perpetuated a culture where research was not normalised within the curriculum. Conversely, enablers included intrinsic motivations (eg, intellectual curiosity and desire to contribute to knowledge) and extrinsic motivations (eg, career advancement). Social dynamics between peer groups emerged, whereby these could act as either a barrier or an enabler, depending on the normalisation of research within their networks.

To enhance engagement with research and promote the attractiveness of a clinical academic career, research should become a ‘normal’ part of undergraduate medical education. Visible integration of research into the undergraduate curriculum, providing structured mentorship programmes and ensuring equitable access to research opportunities will aid this. Addressing these factors may sustain the pipeline of students pursuing clinical academic careers.

Ensuring gender equity in leadership is crucial for fair representation and diversity in academic medicine. This study aims to investigate the representation of women in leadership positions in Turkish academic medicine, including medical schools, specialty boards, conferences and medical journals.

A cross-sectional study was conducted between August and December 2023. The study analysed data from members of medical faculties, specialty boards, medical conferences and medical journals across Turkey. The source of information was publicly accessible websites.

The study included data from 17 939 members of 113 medical faculties, 112 specialty boards, 73 medical conferences and 246 medical journals in Turkey.

This study has no interventions.

Women made up 40.4% of all medical-school faculty but only 22.5% of deans (95% CI 15.5 to 31.6; p

Turkey’s academic medicine pipeline contains substantial numbers of women, yet marked gaps persist in senior positions. Bridging these gaps will require targeted policies that look beyond overall workforce proportions to the specific decision-making roles where shortfalls remain.