Mentorship and how to conduct research: A research primer for low- and middle-income countries

Development of a successful research program can seem daunting when looked at from the starting line. It will take years if not decades to succeed and become sustainable. It requires local partnerships and mentoring; it mandates the establishment of review boards; it requires national health policies to allow for protected time for research in salaries and for fund granting agencies to be set up; it requires training of researchers and support staff as well as a change in the mindset of clinical staff on the floor. It will almost inevitably require international support of some kind for low- and middle-income country researchers, be it university programs or other academic or private institutions. Success can occur; most likely it will occur by partnering with local research experts outside of emergency medicine in some combination with international networks and mentoring. Perhaps the most critical elements to success are intellectual curiosity and a burning flame of passion – and neither of those carry a financial cost.