An internship approach to strengthen the pathway for historically underrepresented groups in health sciences research: the North Carolina diversity and inclusion pathway program

Abstract

Background: To increase engagement of historically underrepresented groups in health sciences research, we created the North Carolina Diversity and Inclusion Pathway Program (NC-DIPP). This year-long, paid internship provides undergraduate and graduate students from 2 historically Black colleges and universities an opportunity to gain real-world experience under the mentorship of expert faculty. Methods: To evaluate the early experiences with the NC-DIPP program, we conducted semi-structured interviews with interns and program leaders. Faculty mentors completed an online questionnaire to describe their experiences to date. A thematic approach was used to analyze the findings. Results: In March–April 2023, 7 of 8 interns (88%), 6 of 11 mentors (54%), and 4 of 4 program leaders (100%) participated in various evaluation components. Overall, respondents agreed about the importance of programs like NC-DIPP, which further engage historically underrepresented groups in the health sciences. Interns had positive feedback about the internship, including real-world work experience, connections to experienced mentors, and early career planning. On a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent), interns rated their experience as a median of 8.3 (range: 4.5–10.0). Mentors had favorable but slightly lower scores (median: 7.0, range: 5.0–8.0). Areas for improvement were noted, including clearer expectations, improved logistical support, and central engagement of interns across projects. Conclusions: This early evaluation of NC-DIPP was generally favorable across all stakeholder groups. By providing a long-term experience in health science research, such programs can contribute to work experience, career planning, and professional networking.