Context: The Aspiring DOctors PreCollege Program at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Cleveland Campus is unique among other precollege pipeline and mini-medical school programs in that it engages learners from urban underserved communities for an entire academic year as a cocurricular adjunct to their high school course load. One day per month, students are brought to the medical college campus and introduced to the field of osteopathic medicine. Students also participate in activities related to preparing for college admissions, diversity in higher education, mental health and wellness, and financial stewardship. All these activities are done with the goal of increasing the number of underrepresented minority (URM) students in the health care professions. Objective: Self-efficacy has been identified as a measure of internal motivation and belief in one’s ability to succeed in the face of challenges. The purpose of this study is to determine what effect, if any, participation in this program has on URM student self-efficacy. Methods: Students were asked to complete a validated self-efficacy questionnaire at the start and end of this program to determine their levels of self-efficacy and if there were changes after participating in this program. Results: Ten of the 12 seniors completed pre- and post-self-efficacy surveys. Two main discoveries were made through this pilot. First, when tested at the beginning of the program, all students had high levels of self-efficacy (mean score, 4.45 of 5). Second, 2 items were specifically increased by a statistically significant amount. The students increased in self-efficacy concerning the responses “I can learn what is being taught in class this year” ( P = .024) and “My ability grows with effort” ( P = .015). Conclusions: With the competitive standards of acceptance into the Aspiring DOctors PreCollege Program, students enrolled in this program had high levels of self-efficacy from the onset. While there was modest increase across the board, many of these indicators remained consistently high after the program. Using self-efficacy as a screening tool for premedical students may be helpful in identifying candidates likely to succeed in a future medical career.
Context The role of professional identity development has been established as a significant element of the “hidden curriculum” in medical education. While most programs do not contain explicit instruction on that topic, service learning initiatives are a popular trend in medical education that offer medical students early clinical experience and an opportunity to develop professional identity. Through intentional reflective practices, service learning can also promote empathy development, a critical component missing from current models. Objective To determine the role of service learning participation on the development of empathy and professional identity among osteopathic medical students. Methods Using a grounded theory method, the authors analyzed reflective essays from students who voluntarily participated in a service learning project that provided medical care to patients who are homeless. Essays were completed within 1 week of volunteer experience. Results The authors collected and analyzed 64 reflective essays from 55 students in this study. A review of the 64 texts yielded 5 coding domains and several subdomains. The codes revealed 4 major themes: (1) incoming attitudes, (2) transformative experiences, (3) empathy development, and (4) professional identity formation. Conclusions Structured service learning experiences provide students with an opportunity to develop an empathetic professional identity in the preclinical stage of medical education. This form of volunteer service is a transformative experience that challenges students’ incoming perceptions and leads to the development of both empathy and professional identity.
Historically, the physician workforce has been a profession disproportionately constituted of White and male doctors. 1 In Europe and North America, efforts have been made to increase the number of under-represented minority (URM) medical students and practicing physicians. 2,3 As defined by the Association of American Medical Colleges, "Underrepresented in medicine means those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population." 4 While the number of women entering medical training has continued to rise to levels nearing representation within the general population, 5 disparities persist amongst the ethnic and racial backgrounds of medical college applicants. 1 In Canada, for example, First Nations/Inuit groups make up approximately 4% of the population, but account for less than 0.25% of physicians. 6 In the United States, African-Americans represent approximately 13% of the population, but only account for 5% of physicians. 1 Across the globe, programs designed to increase the numbers of applicants from minority racial groups have made progress in promoting the physician diversity, however,
serves to introduce underrepresented minority (URM) high-school students to careers in health care as well as introducing URM high-school students to medical student mentors. Each month, medical students and their student mentees connect through a variety of activities on the medical college campus. While the program has significant benefit for the mentees, it also provides professional development opportunities for the medical students as mentors. Many researchers have written on the value of mentored relationships between medical students and established physicians; however, exploring the benefits of medical student mentorship has yet to be discussed in the literature. Objectives: The primary objectives of this study are to understand medical student perceptions of being a mentor and describe the contributions to their medical education. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with student mentors regarding their experiences serving in this program. These interviews were inductively coded for significant ideas, themes, and patterns. Results: A series of 12 research interviews were conducted with medical students who have participated in The Aspiring Doctors program for at least three semesters. Major themes that emerged from the analysis include the following: the importance of guidance in medicine through person-to-person mentoring, and identification of future career aspirations. Summary/Conclusions: Medical student mentors found this program to be a valuable addition to their educational experience. Mentoring URM high-school students offers pre-clinical medical students the opportunity to connect with their community and envision themselves serving as physicians in underresourced communities. Simultaneously, it provides a meaningful way of paying-it-forward during their education. Further studies can be done to track the outcomes of the medical students with respect to their designations stated while participating in this program, the role of mentorship on professional identity development, and possible effects on preventing/mitigating burnout.
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