An innovative method for preparation for rural practice: the high school rural scholars program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Rural Health Disparities
• Student Preparedness

Background:

• Increasing rural physician numbers is vital for underserved areas.
• Standardized test scores often hinder capable rural students' medical school admission.
• Innovative programs are needed to bridge this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a program enhancing rural high school seniors' medical school readiness.
• To assess the impact of local shadowing and virtual ACT preparation on student outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 20 rising high school seniors participated in local healthcare shadowing.
• Virtual classroom sessions provided ACT exam preparation.
• Pre- and post-program assessments measured knowledge and test scores.

Main Results:

• Students gained insight into local healthcare strengths, weaknesses, and professional roles.
• The average ACT composite score increased by 1.2 points to 23.
• Significant improvements were noted in reading and science subscores.

Conclusions:

• The program effectively improved students' understanding of rural healthcare and their academic preparedness.
• This model shows promise for increasing the pipeline of students committed to rural practice.
• Despite being labor-intensive, the program achieved its stated goals.