Clinician's Commentary on Lacey et al.

Few would question the importance of ensuring that graduates of entry-to-practice training programmes have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to use research in their clinical decision making and as part of evidence-informed practice. However, how these scholarly practitioner competencies2 are best acquired, and whether the learning outcomes result in better quality, effective care, are critical questions for educators. In their Physiotherapy Canada article, Lacey and colleagues1 not only demonstrate the knowledge and skills they obtained by conducting research as students but also offer insight into how student research projects can contribute to the physiotherapy profession. By analyzing the research projects that students undertook and the impact of these projects as perceived by the project supervisors, Lacey and colleagues1 conclude that the students' research increased their supervisors' research productivity and capacity as well as their ability to supervise graduate students. In an era in which dedicated time for research is rare, building capacity through student projects offers many benefits. Supervisors deemed student research projects to have an impact on clinical practice, knowledge translation, postgraduate and clinical education, and health policy