Abstract
Objective
Medical schools may find implementing pipeline programs for minority pre-medical students prohibitive due to a number of factors including the lack of well-described programs in the literature, the limited evidence for program development, and institutional financial barriers. Our goals were to (1) design a pipeline program based on educational theory; (2) deliver the program in a low cost, sustainable manner; and (3) evaluate intermediate outcomes of the program.
Methods
SEALS is a 6-week program based on an asset bundles model designed to promote: (1) socialization and professionalism, (2) education in science learning tools, (3) acquisition of finance literacy, (4) the leveraging of mentorship and networks, and (5) social expectations and resilience, among minority pre-medical students. This is a prospective mixed methods study. Students completed survey instruments pre-program, post-program, and 6 months post-program, establishing intermediate outcome measures.
Results
Thirteen students matriculated to SEALS. The SEALS cohort rated themselves as improved or significantly improved when asked to rate their familiarity with MCAT components (p < 0.01), ability to ask for a letter of recommendation (p = 0.04), and importance of interview skills (p = 0.04) compared with before the program. Over 90 % of students referenced the health disparities lecture series as an inspiration to advocate for minority health. Six-month surveys suggested that SEALS students acquired and applied four of the five assets at their college campuses.
Conclusions
This low-cost, high-quality, program can be undertaken by medical schools interested in promoting a diverse workforce that may ultimately begin to address and reduce health care disparities.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Dr. Bill McDade, Deputy Provost at the University of Chicago, who started the pipeline programs at Pritzker in 2009 during his tenure as Associate Dean of Multicultural Affairs and allowed us to restructure one of the programs in 2013. The authors would like to thank the staff of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine (PSOM), Nikeela Oliver, Deb Werner, Kris Slawinski, and Michael McGinty for their generosity and active support. We would like to thank the teaching assistants, Camille Cross and Dagmara Moscoro, for their dedication and hard work during the implementation of this curriculum. We would like to thank Norma Poll for her guidance on the paper. Finally, we would like to thank the PSOM faculty and medical students for lending their time and resources.
Compliance with Ethical Standards
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Funders
This program was financially supported by The University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Press receives funding from the National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (1K23HL118151-01).
Prior Presentations
This work was presented as an oral presentation at the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) 2014 National Conference (23–26 April, San Diego, CA) and as a plenary presentation at the SGIM 2014 Midwest Conference (4–5 September, Chicago, IL).
Conflict of Interest
All of the authors (Cassandra Fritz, Valerie Press, Darrell Nabers, Dana Levinson, Holly Humphrey, Monica Vela) declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Research Involving Human Participants
This study was given an exempt determination by the University of Chicago Institutional Review Board.
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Ethical Approval
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Disclaimers
The views expressed in this submitted article are the authors’ and not the official position of The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.
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Fritz, C.D.L., Press, V.G., Nabers, D. et al. SEALS: an Innovative Pipeline Program Targeting Obstacles to Diversity in the Physician Workforce. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 3, 225–232 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-015-0131-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-015-0131-x