Submission ID 78197
| Code | OE-2-2 |
|---|---|
| At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: | |
| Category | Medical Education |
| Type | Oral |
| Will the presenter be a: | Other |
| Presenter Other | Student and early career faculty |
| Title | Hope for the Future: Diversifying Health Professions Education |
| Background/Purpose | Equity-deserving groups (EDG) are drastically underrepresented in health professions (HP). Underrepresentation contributes to health disparities and barriers to accessing healthcare for EDG (Saha & Shipman, 2006; Wakerman et al., 2019). As gatekeepers, health educational programs must enact action-oriented strategies to embody Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) in HP. This project aimed to increase the knowledge, familiarity, and appeal of health professions educational programs through participation in an intensive summer program and follow-up mentorship program. |
| Methods | Thirteen high-school and undergraduate students who identify as belonging to an EDG participated in the programs. This program evaluation study is rooted in a constructivist paradigm and used a mixed-methods approach. Online surveys, semi-structured interviews (pre, post, and 3-months following), and art-based methods were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the programs. Descriptive statistics and reflexive thematic analysis were used to analyze the data. |
| Results | Participants demonstrated an increased awareness and nuanced understanding of different health professions, associated application processes, and supports available to facilitate the application process. Participants described feeling motivated and hopeful now knowing that there are different paths one can take to become a health professional and that there is a need for diversity- that is, that they have a place in the health professions. |
| Discussion | Initial findings support the effectiveness of the program. With discussions about the need for JEDI in health professions and related education programs rightfully growing, this program holds promise as a model for JEDI action that can be used across higher education institutions. |
| Keyword 1 | Diversity |
| Keyword 2 | Equity |
| Keyword 3 | Admission |
| Abstract content most relevant to: (check all that apply) | Undergraduate Medical Education |
| Abstract Track - First Choice | Equity, Diversity and Inclusion |
| Authors | Ayan Gum Nav Sidhu Rehana Nanjijuma Jialin (Lydia) Chen Amy Ellis Yu Bai Liu Jeanna Pillainayagam Jeff Boniface Laura l Bulk Michael Lee Julia Schmidt Ben Mortenson Tal Jarus Katie Lee Bunting |
