Understanding the Dual Demands of Research and Academics in Medical School: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

OBJECTIVES This qualitative meta-synthesis examined how undergraduate medical students explain and make sense of their experiences balancing research with academic requirements. METHODOLOGY A qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted in line with PRISMA guidelines. Systematic searches were performed in PubMed and Google Scholar using predefined keywords related to undergraduate medical students, research engagement, and academic demands. Qualitative and mixed-method studies with identifiable qualitative findings were included. A total of 12 studies conducted across multiple countries (including LMICs and HICs) were selected after screening titles, abstracts, and full texts. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic synthesis approach to generate higher-order themes. RESULTS Four higher-order themes were identified: (i) negotiation of academic and research identities, (ii) research as both enrichment and burden, (iii) structural and relational determinants of balance, and (iv) adaptive coping strategies. Research was both viewed positively and as challenging across contexts. In LMIC contexts, there were fewer resources and an examination-based system that added a heavy workload, unlike in high-income settings, where a system of systematic support and integration into the curriculum enabled engagement to be more sustainable. Factors that determined balance were mentorship, institutional support, and curriculum design. CONCLUSION Research-academic balance is an institutional rather than a personal process. Curricular integration, mentoring designed with safeguards and moderated time, as well as institutional countermeasures, are necessary to facilitate fruitful and sustainable research engagements in both LMIC and high-income contexts. KEYWORDS: Undergraduate Medical Students, Research Engagement, Academic Workload.