Insights on my future job: implementing near-peer shadowing program for operating room freshmen

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Paramedical Training
• Student Engagement

Background:

• Freshmen in paramedical fields often lose academic and job motivation due to a lack of understanding of their chosen field and future roles.
• Interventional programs aim to improve student motivation by familiarizing them with job duties and responsibilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a shadowing program on freshmen's job motivation and realistic perception of their future roles in paramedical fields.
• To assess changes in job diagnostic survey and job motivation survey scores following the intervention.

Main Methods:

• A one-group pretest-posttest design study involving 50 freshmen in operating room major.
• Freshmen (shadowees) were paired with senior students (shadowers) in clinical settings for a shadowing program.
• Participants completed the Hackman and Oldham's Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS) and a Job Motivation Survey (JMS) before and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• The shadowing program led to a statistically significant increase in Job Diagnostic Survey scores (from 57.78 to 68.58, P < 0.001).
• Job Motivation Survey scores also showed a significant improvement post-intervention (from 25.16 to 39.80, P < 0.001).
• The intervention enhanced freshmen's realistic perception of their future job duties and responsibilities.

Conclusions:

• The shadowing program effectively improved freshmen's understanding of their future roles, thereby enhancing job motivation and recognition.
• Further research is recommended to explore the impact of similar interventional programs across various disciplines to guide students' educational and career planning.