Background Finding that enrollment of Underrepresented in Medicine students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences was considerably below the national average, researchers sought to understand the experiences of minority students. The goal is to develop an academic and social support structure that sustains and attracts students of diverse backgrounds and races. Method Individual interviews of eight matriculated Black medical students and a focus group were conducted, with Institutional Review Board approval, to obtain feasible methodologies and implement change. Student's perspectives and experiences regarding their institution were investigated using qualitative thematic analysis. Results The analysis revealed six themes from the individual interviews: Experience as a minority; Admission process; Difference in backgrounds; Curriculum culture; Diversity at the school; Military medicine. The overarching message from the students was “If you don’t see yourself represented somewhere, it’s hard to believe that you belong.” The focus group made four recommendations: Add a minority viewpoint to curriculum; Add textbooks that portray black skin; Collaborate with Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Increase recruitment of Black students and faculty. Conclusion It is hard for minority students to believe they belong in environments without the representation and infrastructure needed to support their unique needs. Implementing ideas, such as those described in this report, is an important step towards creating inclusion and equity.
This chapter presents an example of a diversity educational change initiative at a medical school. A novel premedical program for enlisted members of the U.S. military services was implemented based on mission requirements, analysis of existing data, and evidence-based strategies. The U.S. physician population suffers from a lack of diversity. This has been a long-standing problem which has a significant impact on the health of the nation. Educational leaders have been given a mandate to address this challenge, and efforts have been made over the past decades – with varying levels of success. This chapter discusses the realities of the diversity challenges facing the health professions workforce and highlights elements of programs which have produced successful diversity outcomes. The military's premedical program is described in detail, including the theoretical perspectives for student persistence and how leaders collaborated to create the conditions for student success.
Introduction Medical school leaders are seeking strategies to increase the diversity of their student populations. Post-baccalaureate premedical (PBPM) programs are one such pipeline that has supported diversity in medicine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Uniformed Services University’s (USU’s) PBPM program (the Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program, EMDP2) to determine how well it prepares its learners for the School of Medicine (SOM). Materials and Methods The National Board of Medical Examiners Clinical Science Subject Examination scores of EMDP2 learners from the SOM classes of 2020–2023 were compared to those of four similarly sized cohorts of their peers that varied by age and prior military service. Results We found that the performance of program graduates was comparable to their peers who followed more traditional and other alternative preparatory paths. Conclusions The EMDP2 appears to prepare medical students on a par with their non-EMDP2 peers. The EMDP2 contributes to USU’s commitment to train physicians who represent the nation and its citizens by making medical education available to enlisted service members, a population that closely mirrors the diversity of the nation.
Introduction The Uniformed Services University (USU) implemented the Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2) with the goal of enhancing the diversity of the military physician corps. Programs like EMDP2 can assist students in making the social and intellectual transition from undergraduate studies to medical school and beyond. These types of programs are also opportunities to reduce health disparities and prepare students to work in multicultural settings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether there was any significant difference in performance between USU medical students who had attended the EMDP2 and those who had not. Materials and Methods We compared the results of National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Clinical Science Subjects, United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1, and USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge exams of EMDP2 learners from the School of Medicine classes of 2020 to 2023 to those of four similarly sized cohorts of their peers who varied by age and prior military service. Results We found that the performance of EMDP2 graduates was comparable to their peers who followed more traditional and other alternative paths to medical school. For example, regression models showed that EMDP2 status was not a statistically significant predictor of average clerkship NBME exam score, nor of USMLE Step 1 failure. Conclusion EMDP2 graduates performed on a par with their medical school peers, and EMDP2 status does not appear to influence NBME or USMLE performance. EMDP2 provides a focused curriculum and addresses the mandate to make medical education opportunities available to a more diverse population.
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