Lessons Learned From Early Undergraduate Exposure to the Medical School Curriculum: A Qualitative Analysis

Students considering the health profession as a career rarely have an opportunity to explore medical school experiences. Pathway programs and "mini-medical school" programs exist but rarely involve integrating participants into the medical school experience. A novel for-credit undergraduate course was developed to embed students into a clinical skills course for medical students beginning in 2013. To better understand the impact of these experiences, this study explored former students' perceptions and career trajectories.

Participants were contacted via email to participate in a virtual, semi-structured interview. Virtual interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Three investigators analyzed 17 interview transcripts independently and developed a codebook. Investigators met to discuss common themes and outcomes.

Participants received early education on patient interviewing and physical examination skills, health policy, and ultrasound. They noted their course experience was a productive way to gain insight into medical school and often cited it when applying for their chosen professional school. Although not a formal part of the course curriculum, many received guidance on the medical school application process, and some obtained letters of recommendation from physician facilitators. Participants emphasized the sense of belonging within the medical school community and affirmation of pursuing a health professional degree.

Participants found their experience to be meaningful and cited it as an influential factor in deciding to pursue a health professional degree. The course could be adopted by other institutions to enhance the variety of pre-health experiences for future medical students or health profession students.