Medical Student Enrollment in a Voluntary Medical Innovation Course

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Care Innovation
• Student Engagement

Background:

• The adoption of new medical innovation programs in US medical schools is slow, with limited existing literature explaining this trend.
• There is a growing need for medical innovators to address healthcare challenges.
• This study investigates student enrollment and background in a voluntary medical innovation course.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the enrollment rate in a voluntary medical innovation course for Medical Doctorate (MD) candidates.
• To analyze the educational backgrounds of students enrolling in the course.
• To assess student willingness to participate in medical innovation education.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods survey study involving a two-stage sign-up process for a voluntary summer medical innovation course.
• Quantitative surveys measured general interest and enrollment, collecting data on educational background and motivations.
• Statistical analysis, including chi-squared testing, was used to evaluate the data.

Main Results:

• 12% of the UCLA Class of 2024 expressed interest, with 10.3% ultimately enrolling in the voluntary medical innovation course.
• Students were primarily motivated by the opportunity to learn about medical innovation (72%) and shadow professionals (28%).
• Enrollees' undergraduate degrees and majors were similar to the general medical student population.

Conclusions:

• The high voluntary enrollment rate suggests that a lack of student willingness may not be the reason for the slow adoption of medical innovation programs.
• Enrollee educational backgrounds did not significantly differ from non-enrollees or the broader US MD candidate population.
• These findings encourage educators to explore and foster student interest in medical innovation education.