How do we increase the diversity of our students? The osteopathic medical profession is not alone in addressing this concern. The demographic discrepancy between the US population composition and that of professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been an ongoing point of concern for education policy.
7,8 When considering intent to enter STEM professions, similar proportions of students identifying as African American, Hispanic, Native American, and white expressed interest prior to college entry.
8 However, upon graduation, the proportion of students interested in pursuing STEM shifted to represent a much larger percentage of students who identified as white. This discrepancy translates to underrepresentation of other ethnic and racial groups in the health care professions relative to their proportion of the US population.
9 Educational exposure, preparation, and attitude toward STEM may affect students as early as middle school.
8 Atance et al
10 addressed the importance of pipeline programs as an option for early intervention. The authors assessed the success of a brief summer program for high school students in a medically underserved area. The resulting gains in biomedical science concepts, as well as increased positive attitude toward disciplines of health and science, suggest that brief educational exposure can positively influence youth, with the goal of addressing the physician shortage in underserved areas in this particular case.
As we consider the physician shortage, it is also important to better understand factors that affect a medical student's choice of medical specialty and residency training program. Since the 1990s, researchers have investigated variables that influence medical specialty choice.
11-13 Common factors identified include future income, prestige, medical educator influence, design and location of training program, lifestyle considerations, and practice location.
14-16 The study by Dogbey et al
17 further explored critical points in medical education that influence residency program decision-making. Their main findings support previous research, including program characteristics, geographic location, and work-life balance as influences on residency choice. However, the article also challenges medical educators to not only consider innovative training approaches but to also be mindful of mentorship during the clinical rotations that may have a greater impact on future decision-making in residency.