International Journal for Innovation Education and Research www.ijier.net Vol.3-2, 2015 International Educative Research Foundation and Publisher © 2015 pg. 25 Today’s Cutting Edge In Research Education Increases Tomorrow’s Employability Beatrice Low Wei Jin 1 , Hardip Kaur Dhillon 2 1 MBBS Year 2 undergraduate , 2 Senior Lecturer, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Selangor, Malaysia Abstract Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is now considered a fundamental basis for clinical practices globally. There is an enormous necessity of going beyond merely reading research articles to actually applying research studies to solve patient management problems on a day to day basis. In order to have a cutting edge in a very competitive, international trade of education, Monash University Malaysia encourages Year 1 and 2 undergraduates to engage in various research projects, available within the School of Medicine during their semester breaks. This paper demonstrates a student’s use of experiential learning, reflective journaling and blended Learning while engaging in a research project. The basic research skills acquired early in the undergraduate MBBS curriculum is expected to achieve advance level research skills as the medical student completes the fifth year of the course. Hence, today’s cutting edge of developing research skills early increases the chances of tomorrow’s employability and employment in evidence based health care settings. Keywords: Experiential learning, research journaling, research skills, reflective process, blended learning, Malaysia. I. Introduction In recent years many more teacher educators are considering innovative methods in which to introduce and enhance research skills development through use of reflectivity [1]. In the current digital age, there is a push to acquire knowledge in the most efficient manner possible. Learning is no longer confined to classrooms nor is it merely didactic, requiring the constant presence of a lecturer. This paper shares the process of a second-year medical student acquiring basic research knowledge and skills during her internship. She accompanied a researcher who conducted a cross-sectional community-based survey and later in-depth interviews in a project titled ‘A Study of Urinary Incontinence in women living in Selangor Malaysia’. Educators are aware that in the world of research, there are many research skills which could be acquired through experiential learning [2] rather than traditional learning. In order for the medical student to develop research knowledge and skills throughout her internship, the researcher encouraged her to maintain a reflective journal [2]. “There is an intimate and necessary relation between the processes of actual experience and education.” John Dewey, 1938 The Kolb Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) emphasizes the importance of experience in learning. The theory is called "Experiential learning" [2] to emphasize the central role that experience plays in the learning process. It provides a holistic model of the learning process and is a multi-linear model of adult development, both of which are consistent with what we know about how we naturally learn, grow, and develop.