Mapping the landscape: current status, challenges, and perspectives on scholarship of medical educationists in Pakistan

Medical Education Research (MER) is ruled by high-income countries, with restricted contribution from Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) like Pakistan; this is despite the mandatory requirements of Departments of Medical Education in every medical and dental college. This research explores the specific barriers to MER scholarship for medical educationists in Pakistan. It focuses on understanding the research challenges and perspectives on scholarship experienced by medical educationists across academic institutions in Pakistan. This sequential mixed-methods (QUAN-qual) study had two phases. The quantitative phase involved a survey ( n = 71, 93.4% response rate) of faculty with postgraduate training in medical education from across Pakistan. The qualitative phase used two focus group discussions with junior and senior faculty to explore the findings in depth. Among the junior faculty, the main challenges in conducting MER were lack of time, training, and support. For seniors, the main challenges were lack of funding for publication, absence of well-reputed local MER journals, and a culture of mistrust for collaboration. Qualitative analysis identified overarching themes for both junior and senior faculty. These included systemic barriers, like lack of protected time and institutional support, and individual factors such as inadequate training in research and theoretical frameworks. Scholarship in medical education in Pakistan is hindered by individual, institutional, and systemic factors. Institutions need to focus on providing protected research time, bolstering MER training, establishing robust mentorship and collaborative networks to augment the research culture.