Primary Presenter: Kirsten Porter-Stransky - University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville
Presenters: Peter Vollbrecht - Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine

Introduction
Many medical schools require that students participate in service learning or outreach. Prior research has focused on the effectiveness of such programs in reaching local communities; however, less scholarship has explored the impact of service learning on student volunteers, especially within the realm of educational outreach. As an option for students to engage in educational service learning, we created Brain Explorers, a neuroscience outreach and service-learning program whereby medical students design and teach neuroscience lessons to rural middle schools. The present study used qualitative methods to investigate medical students’ reflections of how participation in Brain Explorers impacted their communication skills.

Methods
This study was done in accordance with Institutional Review Board policies. Following involvement in this service-learning opportunity, medical students were invited to participate in a focus session. The focus session was transcribed and deidentified. Applied thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data and investigate how participation in this program impacted their communication skills as medical students and future physicians.

Results
The educational service-learning experience positively impacted medical students’ self-reported communication skills and highlighted the difficulty of educational outreach. Participants recognized the challenge of curricular design, the difficulty of distilling information to a level that middle schoolers could understand, and the importance of improvising based on the audience’s behavior. Making scientific content engaging, educational, and understandable for the target audience was difficult and required preparation and on-the-fly adaptation. Participants recognized that this service-learning experience required such skills which also will be important for communicating complex medical information to lay audiences, including their future patients.

Conclusions
In addition to serving a community, educational service learning may be a useful means for medical students to work on their communication skills. The present study showed that this experience impacted self-reported communication skills which not only are important for service learning but also for future clinical practice.

Key Words: K-8, Outreach, Research

Primary Presenter: Kaitlyn Dickinson - University of Colorado School of Medicine
Presenters: Sofie Rosenberg - University of Colorado School of Medicine
Marisa Valeras - University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver Health
Margaret Tomcho - University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver Health

Introduction
According to the AAMC, in 2018 only 12.9% of active physicians were from underrepresented populations (1). The barriers facing underrepresented students entering healthcare careers include lack of mentors, limited clinical exposure, and poor advising (2). Healthcare education outreach programs can increase these students' ability and desire to pursue healthcare careers (3,4,5). The Medical Career Collaborative (MC2) program through Denver Health, offers underresourced high school students hands-on experiences and professional development opportunities, assisting them towards careers in healthcare. In this study, we assess the success of MC2 at helping students understand the various healthcare career options available to them.

Methods
Students accepted into Medical Career Collaborative (MC²) were invited to complete a pre-internship and post-internship survey. The survey included 16 questions scored on variation 5-point Likert scale ranging from 10, “Strongly Disagree” to 50, “Strongly Agree”. There was an 81.48% response rate between to both pre and post surveys. Data analysis was generated using Microsoft Excel Statistical Analysis (p < 0.05).

Results
81 high school students completed the survey across six cohorts, spanning 2.5 years. Of the 81 students who filled out the initial pre-survey, 1 in 5 students did not feel they had strong understanding of the variety of career paths available within healthcare (1 disagree, 16 neutral). In the post-survey, 98.5% of students stated they agreed or strongly agreed that they had a strong understanding of the career paths available within healthcare. There was a similar trend in students who found that the internship supported them in their future career plans and provided professional connections.

Conclusions
MC2 aims to increase diversity in the healthcare workforce by providing underrepresented students with hands on clinical experience and professional growth opportunities. The data indicates that the program leads to clarity on the types of healthcare careers and supports students on their paths to those careers. A limitation of this study is that we cannot yet determine the effects of the program on participants’ careers. Follow-up studies will assess the career choices of these students in five years. However, participant comments in addition to the data indicate that MC2 shows promise in preparing underrepresented students for careers in healthcare.

Key Words: High School Students, Outreach

Primary Presenter: Rohini Ganjoo - George Washington University
Presenters: Bart Gillum - George Washington University

Introduction
The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) has been found to predict success in the performance of first year medical students. This cross-sectional pilot study reflects on the post-baccalaureate pre-medicine 11 month program providing prerequisite courses for pre-medical career changer students at George Washington University. The goal of this project is to determine indicators of student performance to predict their MCAT performance.

Methods
Linear regression models tested theorized relationships. Variables analyzed included undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA), math and verbal standardized test scores, and undergraduate major categories. Additional variables included final grades in each of the science courses offered by our program

Results
Our results (N=141) indicate that when including undergraduate and post-baccalaureate academic performance, Biology I and Physics I were strongest predictors of MCAT performance. STEM students outperformed students with social sciences and ‘Other’ degrees but not business majors on the MCAT. Our data suggests students with social science backgrounds may require remediation to do well on the MCAT. Additionally, students who perform poorly on their initial practice MCAT, should strongly consider remediation to score competitively on the MCAT. Of note, standardized test scores only had weak relationships to MCAT scores, with math scores having a slightly stronger association than verbal scores.

Conclusions
In conclusion, future studies with multiple career-changer post-baccalaureate pre-medicine programs could provide insight on how these variables relate to favorable scores on the MCAT.

Key Words: Post-Bacc, Pre-Med, Undergraduate Students

Primary Presenter: Anais Iglesias - Florida International University
Presenters: Brianna Ulloa - UHI Community Care Clinic
Katherine Semidey - Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Introduction
Racial and ethnic diversity is projected to continue increasing in the United States. Despite this rising diversification, medical school/physician assistant (PA) program matriculation of underrepresented minorities lags far behind. The Panther Cub Pediatrics Pathway to Medicine is a program within community health clinic offering care to underserved patients. Designed to provide underrepresented pre-health students with opportunities to strengthen their respective program applications, the program offers volunteer, clinical, and leadership experience, as well as mentorship from physicians and medical students. This study seeks to evaluate the benefits of the program as perceived by participating students for future quality improvement.

Methods
A voluntary, anonymous Qualtrics survey was developed and distributed to past and current participating pre-health students (n=23). The survey consisted of Likert scale, binary (yes/no), and short-response questions assessing various perceived program benefits, current stage of medical education or medical school/PA program application, contribution towards the aspects of the application process, and program feedback. The outcomes of interest were perceived benefits in the areas of clinical exposure, mentorship, professional development, and personal growth, as well as recommended program features to be improved. Descriptive analysis was performed including frequency and proportion of survey responses.

Results
A total of 23 survey responses were obtained. All volunteers perceived themselves to be stronger medical school/PA program applicants after their participation in the program and were “extremely likely” to recommend it to other pre-health students. Major themes of program benefits included exposure to the clinical setting, working with underserved patients, development of skills to address social challenges in healthcare, and mentorship regarding professional and life-related decisions. Among ten past and two current volunteers who applied to medical school, nine and two, respectively, have successfully matriculated. Commonly suggested program improvements included dedicated clinical skills workshops and additional community outreach opportunities.

Conclusions
Participation in the Panther Cub Pediatrics Pathway to Medicine program was a valuable experience for our pre-health student volunteers. The findings of this study support the role of pathway programs as an important gateway for underrepresented pre-health students to access key opportunities and acquire core competencies needed to succeed as medical school/PA program applicants. In addition to academic and matriculation outcomes of participants, evaluation of student perceptions served as a valuable tool to identify specific program strengths and weaknesses.

Key Words: Pre-Med, Research

Primary Presenter: Makenna Bowman - Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
Presenters: Joshua M. Costin - Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
Arlene M. Giczkowski - Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
Michelle Demory Beckler - Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine

Introduction
The impact of in-person active learning at the undergraduate and medical school levels has been well researched. However, there is little information about the success of active learning in an online setting at a graduate level. We aimed to gain a better understanding of the effectiveness and impact of team-based learning (TBL) sessions on intra- and interprofessional competencies at the master’s and post bacc level. To do this, we redesigned our Microbiology & Immunology course and evaluated student perceptions as well as intra- and interprofessional skill building.

Methods
Our 3 credit Microbiology and Immunology course is delivered synchronously online via zoom and in person over the span of 15 weeks. The previously fully didactic course was redesigned to include TBL session activities delivered strictly online via canvas and zoom with utilization of the breakout room feature. 85 students were enrolled in the course and distributed into teams of 4-5 students. Pre- and Post-surveys were completed by students with 80 respondents and 76 respondents respectively. Team discussions were recorded and analyzed for intra- and interprofessional competency evaluation using a rubric scale.

Results
As the semester progressed, there was a positive trend between the number of TBL sessions and inter- and intraprofessional skill development. Student understanding of course content improved when comparing solo iRAT scores to group tRAT scores. The iRAT and tRAT scores positively correlated with success on case-based examination questions. Comparison of student scores between previous semesters and the redesigned TBL semester showed significant improvement in the quantity of students who were able to correctly answer cased based examination questions. Additionally, student perceptions of active learning increased after engagement in TBL sessions.

Conclusion
Based on the data presented, TBL provides for an enjoyable and engaging learning environment which allows students to develop a better understanding of graduate level material, as illustrated by iRAT and tRAT scores, success on case-based examination questions and overall course performance. Our online-only model of TBL will now be regularly included within the Microbiology & Immunology course and used as a model for incorporation into other courses within our master’s program.

Key Words: Post-Bacc, Pre-Med

Primary Presenter: Kyeorda Kemp - Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

Introduction
Taking part in outreach and pathway programs focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine (STEMM) can foster a sense of inclusion and encourage students to pursue STEMM majors. However, it is unclear whether participating in these programs is positively associated with behaviors linked to success, such as self-directed learning (SDL). To investigate this, we surveyed high school graduates who had recently started college between September and October 2022. We aimed to examine the relationship between participation in STEMM outreach and pathway programs with grit, perceptions regarding SDL, and the ability to apply SDL skills.

Methods
A total of 288 individuals were surveyed. Perceptions regarding and application of SDL and grit were assessed. Previously validated surveys regarding perceptions of SDL were utilized (Kemp 2022 and Lonsburry 2009). Situational cases composed of 15 questions were validated via Cronbach alpha and expert agreement and were mapped to the seven core elements of the SDL and grit (Clark 2019 and Taylor 2023). 𝝌2 and Mann U Whitney were used to determine if there was a difference based on the number of pathway and outreach program experiences (experiences).

Results
There was no difference in the SDL perception based on the number of experiences. However, those with more experience had a higher perception of readiness for college ( 𝝌2=21.14, p < 0.001, Cramer V =0.245). Participants scored poorly on the situational cases-no question greater than 40% correct. The situational surveys were scored after removing partial responders. Scores differed between those that completed ≦two and ≧ three experiences, with those having greater experiences more likely to find behaviors that mapped negatively to grit or appropriate SDL activity acceptable [Mdn (IQR) 18 (20-16) and 20 (21-18.75) U=456, p= 0.001].

Conclusions
Individuals matriculating into college seeking to enter STEMM fields perceive themselves as capable of SDL. This does not match their performance in situational cases. Those with more experiences perceive themselves as ready for college compared to those with less experience. However, those with multiple experiences find decisions negatively associated with SDL and grit acceptable. This research indicates that K-12 pathway programs should explore how to develop SDL skills and grit in participants.

Key Words: High School Students, Undergraduate Students, Research