Mini-Medical School Programs' Influence on Students' Desire to Pursue Medicine

Mini-Medical school programs have become an increasingly popular means of encouraging high-school students to consider medical professions. However, there is little research evaluating the long-term effect of these programs on influencing career choice. The purpose of our study was to determine the motivational factors for attending the Mini-Medical school programs at our institution, student satisfaction with their experience, and whether it impacts intended secondary education and career choices.

An online anonymous survey was distributed to Drexel University College of Medicine Mini-Medical school program graduates to determine factors influencing student participation and program satisfaction.

The most influential factors in attending the program were to confirm an interest in medicine (n = 55, 95%) and parental advice (n = 29, 50%). Most maintained an interest in medicine: 57% (n = 33) pursued a pre-med degree, 55% (n = 32) planned to apply to medical school within 3 years; and 12% (n = 7) were either in medical school or matriculating in the fall of 2015. 91% (n = 53) participants noted the program's influence on choosing a pre-med undergraduate track.

Our results suggest Mini-Medical school programs significantly impacted students' decision to pursue a medical career through fostering interest and effectively answering students' questions about the field.