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| EDITORIAL |
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| Year : 2020 | Volume
: 8
| Issue : 2 | Page : 69-70 |
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Need to initiate “Research orientation program” for Ayurveda undergraduates
Vaishali Vasantrao Kuchewar
Department of Kayachikitsa, Mahatma Gandhi Ayurved College Hospital and Research Centre, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be University), Wardha, Maharashtra, India
| Date of Submission | 26-Jul-2020 |
| Date of Decision | 27-Jul-2020 |
| Date of Acceptance | 27-Jul-2020 |
| Date of Web Publication | 07-Sep-2020 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Vaishali Vasantrao Kuchewar
Department of Kayachikitsa, Mahatma Gandhi Ayurved College Hospital and Research Centre, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be University), Wardha, Maharashtra.
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/JISM.JISM_66_20
How to cite this article:
Kuchewar VV. Need to initiate “Research orientation program” for Ayurveda undergraduates. J Indian Sys Medicine 2020;8:69-70 |
Ayurveda is known as a science of life. Research is an integral part for the growth and development of any science. Research is the systematic study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions. Even after having scientific reliability and validity, it is observed that Ayurveda is poorly acceptable at a global level. It might be due to its expert-based medicine practice which involves insight and individual experience-based approaches along with correlation to various classical concepts of Ayurveda. For globalization of Ayurveda, there is a need to move from expert-based practice to evidence-based practice and research in terms of modern medicine is the only remedy for creating Ayurveda evidence-based practice.
Ayurveda has a vast opportunity in research, but compared to the numbers of Ayurveda fraternities and scholars, number of scientific quality researches is negligible. To create skilled Ayurveda researchers, it is need to start introducing research in Ayurveda from the undergraduate level so that the Ayurveda scholars will possess basic understanding of this science. At the undergraduate level, we have a large number of students to orient them about research, but there is no such orientation program inculcated in their curriculum. Even after graduation, students do not choose research as a profession because of a significant lack of knowledge about this field. The Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) in 2016 introduced a subject of Research Methods and Biostatistics for Ayurveda undergraduate curriculum, but it is not reaching to the actual aim to develop research attitude. It might be due to various reasons; few major reasons are given below.
Most of Ayurveda institutions have no or little expertise, awareness, and infrastructure required for research.
Neither the pattern of Ayurveda teaching changed nor the textbooks are enriched with new research methodologies, which can inspire and awaken the researcher in Ayurveda scholars.
Among thousands of Ayurvedic postgraduates, only a few choose their profession as a researcher.
| Importance of Research Orientation in Undergraduates | |  |
In the current scenario of Evidence-based medicine, research training is essential at the undergraduate level. It helps to develop an insight into their academic as well as clinical practice. It encourages critical thinking and logical reasoning skills, and develops positive attitudes toward scientific research. Proper knowledge about research methodology not only helps in improving the problem-solving abilities of the students but also motivates them to choose research as a career in future.[1] Research has been promoted by the government and many funding agencies to bring forth broadly applicable quality-based scientific outcomes for betterment of mankind. But it is not possible without proper orientation regarding this subject. In Japan, 63 of 80 medical schools have implemented a research-based course in the undergraduate curriculum. Although the duration, study area, and assessment method are different among the schools, the common educational purpose is to provide opportunities leading to the development of research skills and basic skills necessary for continuing professional development.[2] In future, such seeds of information planted at the undergraduate level become trees bearing fruits of quality and evidence-based researches. Therefore, research orientation in undergraduates must be taken as priority task for implementation in curriculum of all streams of undergraduates scholars.
Current Situation
The organizations that offer facility for research at the undergraduate level motivate undergraduates scholars for short-term studentship (STS) projects. However, due to lack of proper orientation, the proposals made by students are mostly of substandard quality, which further result in conduction of study leaving many gaps and thus poor outcome. The study conducted by Y. D. Shilpashree concluded that the most important factors for not taking up research by undergraduates are a lack of motivation and insufficient knowledge about the research.[3] Motivation acts as fuel only when there is sufficient knowledge; otherwise, it will become source of complexity and confusion. Thus, well-planned orientation is must for systematic understanding of research.
Government is encouraging the researcher by providing various grants but very few medical fraternities are aware of it. It may be due to unexposure as well as nonupdated to the practical knowledge of research at undergraduate, which deprived enormous potential group of undergraduates. Thus, formulating “Research orientation module” at the undergraduate level may create interest, thereby developing a research attitude toward systematic planning and execution of research.
Rational Elucidation
Barnett R. suggested four ways to engage undergraduates in research, which are given below:[4]
- Learning about current research in the discipline,
- Developing research skills and technique,
- Undertaking research, and
- Engaging in research discussions.
Based on these suggestions, a 3-day Research orientation workshop can be planned for the second year of Ayurveda undergraduates. On the first day, the student can be oriented to the basics of Research and its rationale. The second day should be composed of types of study and study design. The third day can be allotted for understanding basic concepts of biostatistics for medical research. At the end of the workshop, small research proposals can be assigned to them to assess their research attitude. After completion of orientation, individual consultation sessions are to be arranged to discuss pros and cons in the proposals drafted by scholars.
Challenges
Introduction of Research orientation program might be challenging due to the lack of faculties expert in research and time limitation. But someone must initiate and pilot it by identifying one to two faculties from each phase and prepare them for Research orientation program for undergraduates. Time can be managed by allotting some practical/clinical classes or planning the orientation program three consultative Sundays/holidays.
The world is looking toward Ayurveda as a remedy for various diseases. Ayurveda experts are doing well in managing the ailment; however, there is a lack of scientific explanation. It needs to introduce research orientation in Ayurveda education. Undergraduate is a large platform for it. Hence, it is the responsibility of all Ayurveda educators to plan and implement it. It will certainly make Ayurveda undergraduates curious and may fulfill the dearth of research-oriented Ayurveda clinician.
| Financial Support and Sponsorship | | |
Nil.
| Conflicts of Interest | | |
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | | |
| 1. | Salgueira A, Costa P, Gonçalves M, Magalhães E, Costa MJ. Individual characteristics and student’s engagement in scientific research: A cross-sectional study. BMC Med Educ 2012;12:95.  |
| 2. | Houlden RL, Raja JB, Collier CP, Clark AF, Waugh JM. Medical students’ perceptions of an undergraduate research elective. Med Teach 2004;26:659-61. |
| 3. | Shilpashree YD, Nusrath A, Rajeshwari A . Perception and concerns of undergraduate medical students toward research: A cross-sectional study. J Med Sci Health2016;2:19-22. |
| 4. | Barnett R. Reshaping the University: New Relationships between Research, Scholarship and Teaching. The Society for Research into Higher Education. Maidenhead, England; New York: Society for Research into Higher Education/Open University Press. viii;2005. p. 224. |
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