Going Above and Beyond: Can Bridge and Pathways Into STEMM Do More For Foreign Born and International Students?
Kawther Elsouri - Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine- Fort Lauderdale
Vania Arboleda - Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine- Fort Lauderdale
Pierina Barletti - Nova Southeastern University College of Allopathic Medicine- Fort Lauderdale
Lucia Solis - University of Mississippi Medical Center
Kelvin Edokpolo - University of Mississippi Medical Center
Location: Session Room 1

Foreign born (FB) and Non-U.S. Citizens (NUC) or Non-Permanent Residents (NPR) medical applicants have unique challenges in their financial burden, academic requirements, and lack of resources as well as advising. As a gateway for upward mobility of FB and NUC/NPR students, bridge and post-baccalaureate (post-bac) programs are uniquely positioned to aid talented students to overcome financial and academic requirements as well as provide an opportunity to strengthen their weaknesses, and provide tailored advising, with the ultimate goal of the student obtaining a seat in medical school.

Our panel aims to discuss the challenges that FB and NUC/NPR students face and must overcome to succeed in both postbacc and medical school programs, with the hope that this discussion will shed light on the benefits of and possible improvements to postbacc/bridge programs. The ASPBP provides a supportive, inclusive community for minority students, like us. We believe that our unique experiences and perspectives will be helpful to ASPBP members who may be students, advisors, or teachers.

Highly talented FB and NUC/NPR applicants face many unique challenges in gaining admission and matriculating through medical school. In particular, students may lack the proper resources, require professional development in soft skills, and experience academic or social biases. Post-bac and bridge programs serve as crucial entryways for FB and NUC/NPR into medical school by providing a strong academic foundation. Therefore, it is incumbent upon these programs, as keystones for these students’ journeys, to provide tailored and informed advising and teaching.

While the panelists of this roundtable discussion session come from different backgrounds, they are united in the challenges they face as underrepresented minority students. The rationale for this panel is to bring awareness of the benefits of post-bac/bridge programs based on personal experiences and advocate for their usefulness to FB and NUC/NPR students and to the physician shortage. In addition, the panelists will discuss the unique challenges they have faced and continue to face with the hope that post-bac/bridge programs can make informed changes that help in advising and teaching of current and future students.

Although there are easily identified challenges FB and NUC/NPR students face, there are many less understood obstacles. Since their families are located in other countries, these students often do not have support systems that understand their respective cultures, familial responsibilities, financial burdens, or pressures for success. While other student associations provide great resources for pre-medical students, our panel addresses how post-bac/bridge programs can be significantly beneficial to FB and NUC/NPR students’ academic success.

Student Perspectives on the Best Attributes of Post-Baccalaureate or Master’s Program
Joe Willner - Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine
Lucas Bezerra - Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine
William Prieto - Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine
Leon Figueroa - Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine
Daniela Pinto - Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine
Wilo Issack - Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine
Laura Bauler - Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine
Location: Session Room 2
 

Prospective medical students find different ways to boost their resume including research, shadowing, volunteering, and leadership opportunities prior to applying to medical school. Despite their efforts, many students do not matriculate into medical school immediately after completing their undergraduate degree. For students with lower grade point averages, MCAT test scores, or who desire more focused course work in the biological sciences before entering medical school, another option for students is pursuit of a post-baccalaureate program to boost their chances of matriculating in the next application cycle.

Currently, the Association of American Medical Colleges post-baccalaureate database has 319 programs, more than double the number of accredited MD schools (154). Like medical schools, each post-baccalaureate program offers a unique curriculum, goals for graduates, and subsequent graduate outcomes. Some programs offer direct admittance to medical school, while others guarantee graduates an interview. Some are degree-granting, while others are certificate programs.

The following aspects should be considered: 1) The curriculum should prepare you for medical school. This enables admission committees to ensure that the student can handle the rigors of a medical curriculum. 2) A program that invests in their students. The program should ensure their graduates will be successful in medical school outside of the curriculum. 3) Unique attributes that make the program attractive. Benefits like direct admission, guaranteed interviews or program funding make programs more desirable. 4) A program that undergoes continuous improvement. It is important to incorporate alumni experiences and outcomes to improve the program for future students.

Prospective post-baccalaureate students may feel overwhelmed when navigating this stage of their application. This panel discussion will be a place for post-baccalaureate program graduates to provide perspective on program aspects they found to be beneficial in supporting their admission to and success in medical school.

This panel discussion, with current medical students who have taken the pathway program route, provides perspective for students who may have questions or concerns. Participants will gain a better understanding of what attributes to look for in a post-baccalaureate program and will be able to ask questions to help navigate the decision to enroll in the best post-baccalaureate program to fit their academic and career goals.
 

Learning from Each Other: What Post-Secondary Educators Can Learn from Secondary Pathway Programming
Jacqueline Ekeoba - University of Houston
James Grogan - Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Suzan Kamel-ElSayed - Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Liliana Martinez - Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin
Location: Session Room 3

This panel consists of experienced educators of secondary-level student programming share their insights on what the post-secondary students of tomorrow are experiencing today. This panel aims to encourage collaborative efforts across all educational levels and prepare educators for anticipating the needs of their future students.