A 2-day intensive research training program improves research self-efficacy but not research anxiety in North American private practice veterinary postgraduate clinical trainees.

Short research training programs improve self-efficacy but fail to reduce research anxiety in veterinary house officers.

This prospective survey-based study evaluated the impact of a 2-day in-person clinical research training program on research anxiety and self-efficacy among 78 North American private practice veterinary house officers (residents and interns). Using a modified version of the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory-12 (CRAI-12), participants completed pre- and post-program surveys in August 2024 or August 2025. At baseline, respondents demonstrated at least moderate research anxiety across all measured domains (median scores 4–5 out of 7). Prior research participation, but not prior didactic training, was associated with lower self-reported research anxiety (Spearman r = -0.417). Baseline self-efficacy was higher for idea generation and collaborative tasks, while data analysis, statistics, and identifying research funding represented areas of lower confidence. Following the 2-day training program, specific research competencies and self-efficacy scores improved significantly; however, overall research anxiety was not reduced. Statistical comparisons used Mann-Whitney tests for pre- versus post-session aggregate scores. The authors highlight the evolving landscape of veterinary postgraduate training, in which private practice settings are increasingly involved in house officer education and research activities. These findings suggest that short-format didactic research training programs alone are insufficient to address research anxiety in this population. Future interventions should be tailored specifically to reduce anxiety and encourage sustained research engagement among private practice veterinary postgraduate trainees, potentially incorporating experiential research participation as a core component.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.