Community college pathways: improving the U.S. physician workforce pipeline

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Workforce Diversity
• Socioeconomic Determinants of Health

Background:

• Community college (CC) pathways are increasingly utilized by students pursuing higher education.
• Understanding the impact of CC pathways on medical school admission and future practice intentions is crucial for enhancing physician workforce diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between community college pathway participation and medical school admission.
• To examine the relationship between community college pathways and intentions to practice in underserved communities or work with minority populations.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 2012 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) matriculant and applicant data.
• Logistic regression models were used to assess associations between CC pathway participation, medical school acceptance, and practice intentions.

Main Results:

• Approximately one-third of medical school applicants and matriculants utilized a community college pathway.
• Underrepresented minority (URM) students were more likely to participate in CC pathways.
• Students who attended a CC before a four-year university (First-CC) had lower odds of medical school acceptance but higher odds of intending to practice in underserved communities.

Conclusions:

• Community college pathways are associated with increased representation of URM students in medical school.
• Participants in CC pathways demonstrate a higher prevalence of intention to serve underserved communities.
• These findings highlight the potential of CC pathways to enhance diversity within the physician workforce.