Perceived Success After Participation in the Summer Health Professions Education Program.

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Health Workforce Diversity
• Underrepresented Minorities in Healthcare

Background:

• The US health workforce faces underrepresentation of minority groups.
• The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) aims to address this disparity.
• SHPEP targets early-stage undergraduates interested in health careers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate changes in perceived barriers and motivators for health professional school entry and success.
• To assess the impact of SHPEP participation on students' outlook.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study involving 2017-2021 SHPEP participants at a southern US academic health center.
• Anonymous pre- and post-program electronic surveys using the SHPEP Career Barriers Survey (SCBS).
• Mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) to analyze changes in motivators and barriers.

Main Results:

• 325 participants completed the pre-program survey, and 259 completed both.
• SHPEP showed a significant small to moderate association with increased perceived motivators (p=.001).
• SHPEP led to a significant decrease in perceived barriers (p=.008).

Conclusions:

• SHPEP provides crucial support for underrepresented students pursuing health professions.
• The program enhances perceived motivators and reduces barriers to professional education.
• Findings can inform the development of similar enrichment programs to promote diversity in healthcare.