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Do conventional and innovative medical schools recruit different students?
B Maheux1, F Béland, R Pineault
1Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Medical Education
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Innovative medical schools attract students with distinct backgrounds and attitudes, though career expectations remain similar across different school types. This highlights evolving student profiles in medical education.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Sociology of Medicine
- Health Professions
Background:
- Medical schools vary in admission policies and curriculum.
- Innovative schools emphasize a biopsychosocial approach to healthcare.
- Understanding student demographics is crucial for medical education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if different medical school types attract distinct student profiles.
- To compare social, demographic, educational, and attitudinal characteristics of students.
- To assess if career expectations differ between students in conventional and innovative medical schools.
Main Methods:
- A mail questionnaire surveyed 243 first-year medical students across three US medical schools.
- Two schools were classified as conventional, one as innovative.
- An 84% response rate was achieved.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found in students' expected career choices.
- Students in the innovative school exhibited different social, demographic, educational, and attitudinal profiles compared to those in conventional schools.
- This suggests innovative admissions and curricula attract a different student cohort.
Conclusions:
- Medical school innovation in curriculum and admissions is associated with recruiting diverse student types.
- The findings indicate a shift in the profile of students entering the medical profession.
- Implications for medical school recruitment and educational strategies are discussed.