The Implementation of an Innovative High School Mentoring Program Designed to Enhance Diversity and Provide a Pathway for Future Careers in Healthcare Related Fields
Open accessAbstract
Background Although the population of diverse applicants applying to medical school has increased over recent years (AAMC Diversity in Medical Education: Facts and Figures 2012); efforts persist to ensure the continuance of this increasing trend. Mentoring students at an early age may be an effective method by which to accomplish diversity within the applicant pool. Having a diverse physician population is more likely able to adequately address the healthcare needs of our diverse population. Purpose The purpose of this study is to initiate a pipeline program, called the Medical Student Mentorship Program (MSMP), designed to specifically target high school students from lower economic status, ethnic, or racial underrepresented populations. High school students were paired with medical students, who served as primary mentors to facilitate exposure to processes involved in preparing and training for careers in medicine and other healthcare-related fields as well as research. Methods Mentors were solicited from first and second year medical students at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix (UACOM-P). Two separate cohorts of mentees were selected based on an application process from a local high school for the school years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. Anonymous mentee and mentor surveys were used to evaluate the success of the MSMP. Results A total of 16 pairs of mentees and mentors in the 2010-2011 (Group 1) and 2011-2012 (Group 2) studies participated in MSMP. High school students reported that they were more likely to apply to medical school after participating in the program. Mentees also reported that they received a significant amount of support, helpful information, and guidance from their medical student mentors. Overall, feedback from mentees and mentors was positive and they reported that their participation was rewarding. Mentees were contacted 2 to 3 years post MSMP participation as sophomores or juniors in college, and all reported that they were on a pre-healthcare career track. Conclusion The MSMP may serve as an effective pipeline program to promote future diversity in college and graduate training programs for future careers in science and medicine.
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There are minimal reports about the personal impact of pipeline programs on participants and what elements contribute most to students' perception of their own success pursuing a health career.
“This gap in our knowledge is further compounded by minimal reports about the personal impact they have on participants, and what elements contribute most to the students' perception of their own success pursuing a health career.15–17”
From Dreams Realized: A Long-Term Program Evaluation of Three Summer Diversity Pipeline Programs (2021) · cites this paper as [15]
The Introduction says literature on pipeline-program implementation and efficacy is limited, few studies mentor high-school students, and one did not follow participant outcomes. This supports a general gap in evidence about participants’ experiences. It does not specifically say that reports are scarce on which program elements contribute most to students’ perceived success in pursuing a health career. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPrior mentorship and pathway programs have reported sustained benefits, including continued mentor-mentee engagement and persistence on pre-health tracks.
“prior mentorship and pathway programs have reported sustained benefits, including continued mentor-mentee engagement and persistence on pre-health tracks [13].”
From The Clinical Mentorship Program: a mixed-methods evaluation of a community-based medical education pathway program for high school students (2026) · cites this paper as [13]
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Research works printed but not linked: 7
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Dreams Realized: A Long-Term Program Evaluation of Three Summer Diversity Pipeline Programs
Stephenson-Hunter, C., Strelnick, A. H., Rodriguez, N., Stumpf, L. A., Spano, H., & Gonzalez, C. M. (2021) · Health Equity · doi:10.1089/heq.2020.0126 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Future doctors from underrepresented in medicine communities at the University of Utah
Cariello, P. F., Figueroa, E., Harris, C. M., Eldridge, D. R., Hooten, M., Cuevas, G. E., Jones, J. L., Hightower, M., Campbell, K. M., Martineau, M., et al. (2023) · PRiMER · doi:10.22454/primer.2023.296084 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Hunt, V. M., Cheng, J., de Lomba, W. C., & Warrier, S. (2026) · BMC Medical Education · doi:10.1186/s12909-026-09852-x
- Authors
- Patel, S. I., Rodríguez, P., & Gonzales, R. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Arizona (US)
- University of Arizona College of Medicine- Phoenix (US)
- Corresponding author
- Patel, Salma I.
- Venue
- Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
- Published
- 2015-03-12
- Volume
- 2
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 395-402
- ISSN
- 2196-8837 (ISSN-L)
- 2197-3792
- OpenAlex
- W2082489499
- Cited by
- 65
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 2.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Diversity and Career in Medicine
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mentoring and Academic Development
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Career Development and Diversity
- Keywords
- pipeline programs, medical school diversity, underrepresented minority students, high school students, medical education, mentoring relationships
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Arizona, Career Choice, Female, Forecasting, Health Occupations, Humans, Male, Mentors, Organizational Innovation, Poverty, Schools, Students, Students, Medical, Cohort Studies, Program Evaluation, Program Development, Cultural Diversity
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