Systematic review of initiatives promoting health career paths for secondary-level students

This systematic review examined healthcare career promotional initiatives targeting secondary-level students to characterize initiative types, evaluate their effectiveness at influencing students' knowledge, interest, attitudes, and healthcare career pathways, and identify factors influencing program success.

A pre-registered systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Seven databases were searched. Analysis and interpretation were guided by a modified Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) model. Study quality was assessed with adapted checklists.

Fifty studies with a total of 5,315 participants were included. Forty-four initiatives were North American, targeting grades eleven and twelve through camps, courses, internships, mentorships, and continuum programs. Studies observed short-term improvements in interest, attitudes, knowledge, and career pathways. The success of initiatives was associated with flexibility, accessibility, funding, cultural relevance, and community involvement. Risk of bias assessment was heterogeneous, ranging from moderate to high.

Current healthcare career promotional initiatives are promising but constrained by moderate quality, geographical limitation, and heterogeneity. The Integrated MOA-Informed Model offers a valuable framework for the design and evaluation of future initiatives, highlighting the need for more rigorous, diverse, and longitudinal evaluations.

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024515728, identifier CRD42024515728.