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Cited by 19Medical Education and AdmissionsDiversity and Career in MedicineInnovations in Medical Education

Penn Access Summer Scholars program: A mixed method analysis of a virtual offering of a premedical diversity summer enrichment program

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Zhou, Cecilia, Okafor, Chielozor, Hagood, Jamal, DeLisser, Horace M.·2021·Medical Education Online
DOI 10.1080/10872981.2021.1905918PMC PMC8018359
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Abstract

In the USA, numerous summer programs are available for undergraduate students that seek to increase the number of individuals from groups underrepresented in medicine (URM) that matriculate to medical school. These programs have typically been conducted at research-focused institutions, involving hands-on-research and various enrichment experiences. For 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the suspension of on-campus student activities at American universities, necessitating a switch to a virtual format for these URM-focused programs. Outcomes, however, from these programs conducted virtually, necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have not been reported. The Penn Access Summer Scholars (PASS) program at the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) targets URM undergraduates, providing two consecutive summers of mentored research and enrichment experiences, with the goal of enabling participants' matriculation to PSOM. PASS has been an 8 week on-campus experience, but during summer 2020, virtual programming of 6 weeks was provided due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants in the 2020 virtual offering of PASS completed pre- and post-program surveys that included 5-point Likert-style and open-ended questions to determine the impact of the programing on self-assessments of research skills, familiarity with the physician identity, and preparedness to be a PSOM student. Post-program, participants also assessed program administration and content. With respect to program objectives, participants reported significant increases in their self-reported confidence in conducting research, understanding of physician identity, and sense of preparedness for medical school. The educational value of the program content, their level of engagement in the program and the overall quality of the program were rated as excellent or outstanding by large majorities of respondents. Content analyses of participant comments were consistent with these quantitative results. Therefore, a premedical summer enrichment program targeting URM undergraduates can be successfully conducted virtually to achieve program objectives and may increase the availability to these initiatives.

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  • Recent disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic affected program delivery and participation, even in regions with well-established infrastructures, as reported by several authors.

    “several authors also reported that recent disruptions (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic) affected program delivery and participation, even in regions with well-established infrastructures.”

    From Pathway to Medicine and Health Programs Revisited: Outcomes and Institutional Adaptations in Greater Philadelphia and Beyond (2026) · cites this paper as Zhou et al., 2021

    The Introduction says the COVID-19 pandemic forced the University of Pennsylvania to suspend in-person activities and move PASS online. The Results report that internet and power disruptions caused some students to miss or struggle to participate in sessions. The paper does not characterize the region as having well-established infrastructure. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • Pandemic-related disruptions affected program delivery, participation, or modality, often prompting shifts to virtual or hybrid formats.

    “Several authors described how pandemic-related disruptions affected program delivery, participation, or modality (e.g., Zhou et al., 2021), often prompting shifts to virtual or hybrid formats.”

    From Pathway to Medicine and Health Programs Revisited: Outcomes and Institutional Adaptations in Greater Philadelphia and Beyond (2026) · cites this paper as Zhou et al., 2021

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Authors
Zhou, C., Okafor, C., Hagood, J., & DeLisser, H. M.
Affiliations
University of Pennsylvania (US)
Corresponding author
DeLisser, Horace M.
ORCID
Venue
Medical Education Online
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2021-01-01
Volume
26
Issue
1
Pages
1905918-1905918
ISSN
1087-2981 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1080/10872981.2021.1905918
PMC
PMC8018359
OpenAlex
W3145425125
Cited by
19
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 2
FWCI
2.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Medical Education Online (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R25HL084665)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Medical Education and Admissions
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Diversity and Career in Medicine
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
Keywords
underrepresented minorities in medicine, COVID-19 pandemic, medical school matriculation, physician identity, program evaluation
MeSH terms
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Female, Humans, Male, Mentors, Minority Groups, Pennsylvania, Research, Schools, Medical, Students, Premedical, Universities, Program Evaluation, Self Report, Pandemics

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