Program Affiliated Institution(s)
NeighborhoodHELP Program at Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Program Introduction/Background
"STEM Saturday" is a community outreach program focusing on service, partnership, and education for underserved South Florida communities. It engages medical, physician assistants, and undergraduate students in leading hands-on science experiments for children aged 5 to 15 every Saturday across multiple sites. The program aims to foster a passion for STEM, enhance problem-solving skills, and bridge educational gaps in these communities. By engaging children in interactive experiments and teaching real-life applications of scientific concepts, STEM Saturday seeks to make STEM education accessible and enjoyable. The program also provides pre-medical students opportunities to apply their knowledge through MCAT-related questions, reinforcing their learning. Overall, STEM Saturday bridges educational gaps, encourages future STEM careers, and empowers children from diverse backgrounds to succeed academically.

Relevance to ASPBP
The "STEM Saturday" program aligns with the goals of the ASPBP by providing equitable access to quality STEM education and fostering community engagement. By targeting underserved populations and offering mentorship, the program helps address educational inequalities and supports the academic growth of children from diverse backgrounds. The focus on hands-on learning and real-life applications of STEM concepts promotes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential components of academic support and best practices.

Target Population
Children aged 5 to 15 from underserved communities in South Florida. The majority of these children are either Hispanic or African American, with many coming from households with incomes below the poverty level. The program serves over 15 sites in Miami, Miami Beach, Hialeah, Homestead, and Opa-Locka, each hosting sessions with 10 to 30 children.

Lessons Learned
One challenge STEM Saturday has faced is simplifying complex scientific concepts for children to understand better. To address this obstacle, supplemental videos, and visual aids have been utilized to enhance the students’ comprehension and participation during these experiments. STEM Saturday continues to build strong partnerships with local schools, churches, and libraries and receives positive feedback from the communities. The program has excelled by recruiting medical students as site leaders, using hands-on, interactive experiments with simple materials, and ensuring seamless coordination through volunteer support. Innovations include incorporating real-life significance into experiments such as extracting DNA from fruits, simulating the digestive system using common household items, and building rockets from plastic bottles. Through efficient coordination among medical students, staff, and the community, STEM Saturday can be replicable in other communities through partnerships, dedicated leadership, and effective communication and promotion strategies.

University of Iowa Health Care STEM Education programs are committed to empowering Iowa’s diverse K-12 students to explore, engage, and excel in STEM careers, with a special emphasis on cultivating a passion for health care careers. Our mission is to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and resources essential for success in the dynamic field of health care through educational programming, while fostering a culture of health literacy and community well-being. Fifteen years ago, we launched our programs as a result of a statewide STEM initiative to raise Iowa students’ math and science test scores and address the rapidly growing demand for qualified STEM professionals. We created a program to excite students early on about health care professions, nurture their passion and interest in STEM, inspire the future health professionals in Iowa, and teaching students healthy habits to grow into healthy adults.  

Our program serves as a crucial component in the health care workforce pipeline by engaging K-12 students at various stages of their educational journey. Our pipeline begins with engaging elementary students in hands-on activities that introduce fundamental concepts in science and medicine. These activities foster curiosity and lay the groundwork for understanding health-related principles. Moving into middle school, our program shifts focus to career exploration, offering students opportunities to delve deeper into health professions through interactive sessions and tours with health care professionals. For high schoolers, our program emphasizes practical experience with group job shadows, direct interactions with health care providers, and guidance on navigating the next steps toward pursuing health care careers. Coming full circle, we engage medical students or practicing health professionals to share their experiences and knowledge inspiring the next generation, building affinity to our institution through community engagement, and cultivating an active alumni base. This comprehensive approach ensures that students not only develop a strong foundation in health knowledge but also gain practical insights and mentorship critical for their future success in the medical field. 

Our program is designed to introduce K-12 students across Iowa to the diverse career opportunities within health care through tailored programming to fit their needs. Many students already know what their future career goals are by the time they reach high school, so exposing K-8 students to career exploration is crucial. To increase awareness of the many possibilities in the health care field and foster interest early on, we are committed to engagement beginning as early as elementary school. 

Through our experience, we have identified several best practices in engaging K-12 students in health care career exploration. Incorporating hands-on activities and connecting what students learn in the classroom with real world applications in STEM programming is the most effective way for students to envision themselves within the health care field and provide a memorable experience. Personalized learning experiences and collaborating with community partners and our health care providers enriches our program, offering students authentic learning opportunities and a glimpse into real-world health care applications.

Description
Through our focus of developing an inclusive pathway program, we are pleased to present insights and strategies from the Johns Hopkins Underserved in the Medical Professions program (JUMP). This presentation will detail our efforts to create a dynamic and supportive prehealth pathway for undergraduate students from socioeconomically and culturally diverse communities. Our journey began with significant challenges in maintaining student engagement, which led us to reimagine our program structure and approach.

Program Introduction
JUMP is open to all JHU students and recent alums who are committed to pathways as health professionals who engage with culturally and economically diverse communities. Initially, we faced limited and sporadic engagement from our members, with many students disengaging and dropping off the prehealth pathway. This trend highlighted the need for a more structured and supportive approach to ensure sustained participation and advancement. To address these challenges, we restructured the JUMP membership into five key components: Prehealth progression profile tracking, immersive experiences, leadership and community engagement, learning and skill development, and academic testing and application support. This new structure allowed us to collect detailed student data and tailor our interventions to meet the specific needs of our members. By aligning membership requirements with the expectations of various health professional programs, we ensured that our students received relevant and comprehensive support. We built robust partnerships with community organizations, healthcare institutions, and academic departments, providing our members with a wealth of experiential learning opportunities. These collaborations not only enhanced the practical skills of our students but also increased their exposure to the healthcare field. Importantly, we identified low-cost strategies to make these opportunities accessible, ensuring that financial barriers did not impede participation.

Relevance to ASPBP
We aim to share our success enhancing engagement and retention in prehealth pathways for JHU undergraduates from culturally and economically diverse populations.

Target Population
Understanding the unique challenges faced by JUMP members, we developed tailored programming to address their specific needs. This included targeted workshops, community building sessions, and informational drop-ins designed to demystify the health professional track and provide personalized guidance. By fostering a community where students felt supported and valued, we significantly enhanced their sense of belonging and identity within the program.

Lessons Learned
The restructured membership model and targeted interventions led to remarkable outcomes. Over nine months, student engagement increased to 225%, with a corresponding rise in the sense of belonging and identity within JUMP. Participation in our informational drop-in sessions indicated a higher level of proactive engagement and interest. These metrics reflect not only improved retention but also a thriving community where students are actively advancing on their prehealth journey. The lessons learned from the JUMP program offer valuable insights into creating dynamic and inclusive prehealth pathways. By reimagining membership structures, fostering community partnerships, and delivering tailored support, educational institutions can significantly enhance the engagement and success of their students.

Program Introduction/Background
The Hal B Jenson Biomedical Sciences Masters’ degree program is a one-year program designed to support students who need additional academic support prior to entering medical school. MBS students are provisionally accepted into the MD program pending MBS program graduation. The program supports the mission of the medical school in achieving health equity by recruiting and training a diverse cohort of students. The curriculum is composed of 13 courses, three of which are completed alongside the medical students, the remaining courses are unique to the Master’s program. This provides students an opportunity to experience the rigors of medical school, while also receiving the benefits of a small program with increased faculty:student ratios. An overall program evaluation revealed gaps in student knowledge after entering into the MD program that were targeted with the most recent iteration of the curricula.

Relevance to ASPBP
Compared to other pre-medical school matriculation programs (post-baccalaureate or Master’s), this program has several innovative aspects. These include direct admission to medical school upon successful completion, a student-driven thesis, and program funding. To improve knowledge, capacity for critical thinking and written and oral communications skills, students compose a literature-based thesis on a topic of their choosing guided by faculty mentors. The Biomedical Masters’ program is fully funded for students who receive a full tuition and cost-of-living scholarship to eliminate the financial burdens typically experienced by students who need to strengthen their medical school application prior to admission. Removing this burden allows a more diverse group of students to explore a path to medicine.

Target Population
Our program enrolls students who have the experiences, characteristics, and drive needed to pursue medicine but need further academic preparation to succeed in medical school. This program has a particular focus on providing opportunities for students from the southwest Michigan area, and those that bring diversity to support our mission of a just culture of DEIB, which may include overcoming adversity, low socioeconomic backgrounds, and first generation college graduates.

Lessons Learned
Recently the program curricula was redesigned to include a four-part Anatomy and Physiology course series, to support development of foundational knowledge needed to succeed in the organ systems based curriculum utilized at our medical school. Implementation of a new MBS curricula presented many challenges including curricula design, support from administration, faculty time, and new testing methodology. Identifying a curricular champion who can elicit administrative support and faculty who were passionate about the MBS program was essential to our success. Curricula will need to be continuously modified to ensure it meets the needs of students in providing foundational knowledge, while not overburdening students. When implementing a new curricula format, students need to feel comfortable, thus, providing transparency as to why certain pedagogical frameworks are being utilized is essential. Outcome data is still needed to determine effectiveness of the new curricula for graduates of the program. Of the 43 students enrolled in the MBS program, 14 have completed their MD degree and successfully matched into highly competitive residency programs.

Program Introduction and Background
The Center for Educational Outreach at Baylor College of Medicine has been engaged in STEMM pathway program activities since the founding of its partnership with the Houston Independent School District in 1972 with the founding of the DeBakey High School for Health Professions. We now are associated with twelve STEMM magnet programs across the state of Texas, and have expanded our pathway programs to include teacher professional development, afterschool programs and a robust website of free STEMM curricular materials for use in and out of schools. Given our diverse portfolio of programs, we have developed several models for establishing, enhancing, and sustaining K-12 pathways and partnerships, and have made a concerted effort to develop an approach to identify gaps in our work to support cohesive, aligned pathways for young learners.

Relevance to ASPBP
This works aligns and supports the ongoing mission of ASPBP in developing programs that supports increased inclusivity and equity across all levels of education. This presentation includes discussion on identifying overlap of pathway programs and the essential work of identifying stakeholders to fold into and strengthen the STEMM education pathways community of practice.

Target Audience
Our STEMM pathways and programs target participants across the K-12 spectrum, including teachers, learners, administrators and institutional partners.

Lessons Learned and Innovative Tools
We are eager to share our tips and strategies to develop new or expanding existing programming and move from isolated K-12 opportunities (i.e., “ponds”) towards a systemic, multigrade pathway approach (i.e., “waterways”) through identifying stakeholders like partner schools, districts, and community partners. We will share the lessons learners in developing and connecting pathway programs from the context of K-12 school partnerships and introduce a planning framework tool for institutions to identify gaps in existing programming, consider their current offerings within their context, and develop a plan to move past a “checkbox” approach towards a thoughtful, cohesive pathway with multiple programs.

Program Description/Background
The Promoting Diversity in Research Training and Mentoring for Underrepresented Minority Students (URM) NIH R25 program aims to enhance diversity within the biomedical research workforce by providing comprehensive training and mentorship to underrepresented minority (URM) students.

Relevance to ASPBP
The Promoting Diversity in Research Training and Mentoring for Underrepresented Minority Students (URM) NIH R25 program holds significant relevance with ASPBP. The NIH R25 program’s focus is on enhancing diversity within the STEM field through its commitment to fostering inclusivity in bridge and pathway programs by providing comprehensive training and mentorship to URM students.

Target Population
The target population of The Promoting Diversity in Research Training and Mentoring for Underrepresented Minority Students (URM) NIH R25 program includes underrepresented minority students pursuing careers in STEM and medicine.

Innovations
The NIH R25 program has established strong partnerships with multiple colleges and universities across South Carolina. Collaborative efforts include faculty exchanges, joint research projects, and shared training programs, creating a robust network of support for URM students. One of the notable innovations of the NIH R25 program is the development and implementation of a Student Ambassador program. This initiative empowers graduates of the NIH R25 program to serve as leaders and near-peer mentors for current participants. Ambassadors provide guidance, share their experiences, and help foster a supportive community, ensuring continuity and sustained engagement among URM students. The program also offers structured fall and spring internships throughout the academic year. These internships provide hands-on research experience, allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings.

To further support career development, the NIH R25 program has initiated a STEM Career Planning Pathways event. This event brings together students, educators, researchers, and industry professionals to discuss career opportunities and pathways in STEM fields. Workshops, panel discussions, and networking sessions provide students with insights into various career options and the steps required to achieve their professional aspirations. The program's first NIH Research Education Symposium marks a significant milestone in showcasing the research accomplishments of URM students. This symposium provides a platform for students to present their research findings, receive feedback from peers and experts, and celebrate their hard work and dedication. The event fosters a sense of achievement and encourages students to pursue further research endeavors. The NIH R25 program provides MCAT/GRE study materials and organizes learning seminars. These resources help students prepare effectively for these exams, improving their chances of admission to prestigious graduate and professional programs. To foster a sense of community and engagement, the NIH R25 program organizes various social activities and collaborations. These activities, ranging from team-building exercises to cultural events, help build strong connections among participants and create a supportive environment.

Program Introduction/Background

The purpose of this innovation is to instill professionalism in premedical postbaccalaureate students and enhance their professional skills and behavior in medical school and as future healthcare providers.

The Graduate Certificate in Molecular and Biomedical Sciences (GCP) at the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine is a pathway program to medical/PA school. There is much evidence in the literature that unprofessional behavior in medical school predicts unprofessional behavior in medical practice. In order to prepare our students to be professional in medical/PA school, the GCP has developed an innovative professionalism program incorporating didactics, mentoring, classroom management, and professionalism assessments.

Target Population: The GCP program largely serves minority students who need academic enhancement in order to gain entrance to and excel in medical school. There has been an average of 40-50 students in each cohort of this 2-semester program over the past 8 years.

Best Practices, General Program Framework, and Evaluation

• Teaching: There are two courses: GMS6922/23 Professional Skills in Medical Sciences I and II. These semester-long courses include lectures on professionalism, plagiarism, medical ethics, time management, working in groups, goal setting, feedback, communication, etc.
• Learning: Students complete assignments mapped to session learning objectives. They receive constructive feedback on their assignments and develop the skills to set specific individual goals during their meeting with their mentors. They also learn how to give constructive feedback to their peers, faculty and during small group work and course evaluations.
• Mentoring: All students are assigned a faculty mentor and meet with them several times each semester.
• Classroom Management: There is mandatory attendance for each class session and students must come to class dressed in business casual dress. We believe that if one looks professional, one will act professionally. Students are provided with frequent, informal, low stakes feedback to assist students in their perception of their own professionalism. 
• Evaluation: A major component of this integrated professionalism program is the evaluation of professionalism twice a semester while in the program. Students receive formative feedback which does not count for a grade. Using a rubric, all teaching faculty and staff give input into the evaluations, in addition to providing narrative comments. Nine domains of professionalism are assessed, including 1) Self-directed learning, 2) Critical Thinking Skills, 3) Resilience and Dependability; 4) Communication; 5) Respect; 6) Leadership and Teamwork; 7) Feedback; 8) Honest, Trustworthy & Accountable; 9) Compliance. At the first time point, >95% of students met or exceeded expectations for domains 3-9. The first two domains showed the most improvement over the course of the program. Self- directed learning and critical thinking, improved from 77%/72% of students meeting or exceeding expectations at the beginning of the program to 95%/94% by the end of the program. Anecdotes from med school/PA faculty show they are impressed with the professionalism of GCP alumni in their programs at HWCOM and other institutions.
• All data shows that this program is working. This program is definitely feasible and transferable, given the interest of faculty and their time commitment.

Program Introduction/Background
MedWork is an innovative network of students and faculty from the Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs (ASPBP) and International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) who serve as trained mentors (via MentorCity.com) for the duration of one year to high school students (10-12th grade) from community partners. The first community partner is Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) and students that participate in the district's Career & Technical Education (CTE) interscholastic program, which offers the earning of college credit or receiving job certifications for free. CTE students are largely from historically marginalized backgrounds. In subsequent years, will solicit additional community partners based on the host city of the IAMSE annual meeting. MedWork cohorts will include 20 students each year, and will engage other community partners to meet this threshold if needed. 

Relevance to ASPBP
The goal of MedWork is to address a gap in mentorship programming for high school students. This program provides a platform where high school students can foster authentic relationships with national and/or international STEM/Medicine professionals. The long-term goal of MedWork is to improve representation of historically marginalized students in health professions careers. The anticipated outcome of MedWork would establish new authentic engagement relationships at cities that IAMSE visits for its annual conferences (ASPBP conferences are online) for at least the next three years. 

Target Population
Members of both societies who identify as basic and clinical scientists interested fostering successful pathway programs and improving the educational experience for health sciences pre-clinical and clinical students agreed to connect with the conference host city’s public school district to determine how the national and international group of its members could provide service for the next year to the K-12 students. We have already completed a key phase of the project, collaborating with community stakeholders, to identify and fill gaps in their current programming. MPS expressed emphatically and enthusiastically for help to expand its network of authentically engaged mentors (national/international) for its CTE students.

Lessons Learned
MedWork is focused by our research questions which explore outcomes for both the Mentor and Mentee. This is the first global, virtual mentorship program which engages members from both professional societies. Dissemination of our findings will help to inform best practice for online mentorship programs. In order to assess our program, and inform future directions of MedWork, we have developed the following research questions: What is the effectiveness of MedWork as a model for establishing national and international authentic engagement? Does access to a global mentorship network impact high school students’ STEMM career pursuits? Can a collaborative mentorship network recruit and retain students from historically marginalized backgrounds? What professional goals can be accomplished through engagement with a mentorship network? Do Mentors become more familiar with barriers to entry STEMM careers faced by their potential students? We will use a narrative inquiry and mixed methods analysis approach to the study.

Program Introduction/Background
Reach Out to Youth (ROTY) is a mentorship program that offers elementary school students early exposure to the medical profession through interactive Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) activities while also providing parents/guardians with the tools to best support their child's future career pursuits. ROTY goals are to teach, inspire, support, and explore through medical student created interactive workshops. This year’s workshops were based on the nervous system and included stations for taste & smell, sight, touch (including a faculty developed art component), reproductive health, and medical physical exam.  The parent program focused on aspects of mental wellness and a presentation on the primary partner school district’s reproductive health and prevention program.

Relevance to ASPBP
A notable gap exists in the allocation of resources, educational access, and opportunities within underrepresented communities in the field of medicine. Mentorship initiatives and specialized programs present avenues for addressing these inequalities by fostering the personal and professional growth of young individuals. Although numerous mentorship and outreach endeavors cater to high school and middle school demographics, we've identified a scarcity of options tailored to elementary school students. The aim of ROTY is to address disparities in medical education resources by providing elementary school students in Pontiac, Michigan with an opportunity to explore the STEMM field. This year’s iteration of the program also included an increased focus on embracing diversity by providing families with a book to read together at home and embedding a discussion on differences in one of the workshop stations. The ROTY program is also distinctive in its partnerships with not only school districts, but also with other groups who aim to inspire and enrich youth including non-profit service organizations, university departments outside of STEMM fields, and area health centers.

Target Population
ROTY functions as a pathway program for area school districts, targeting students aged 7-11. At this stage, children are encouraged to envision their potential futures. By introducing healthcare opportunities early, students can explore a career path they might not have otherwise considered. Additionally, parents and guardians of participating students are welcomed to join a parallel program. This parent program, which includes various community partners, connects families with resources to support their children while also providing insight into the students' daily learning. Combined, these elements offer an integrated approach to expanding career opportunities for families.

Lessons Learned
Through a post program evaluation, youth participants shared how they learned interesting information through engaging activities and had positive interactions with medical students. The medical student volunteers also reported the event to be a valuable opportunity to engage with the community and have expressed interest in continuing ROTY. While over 40 youth registered, one half attended which indicated barriers even with provided transportation. Future efforts will focus on improving attendance and increasing participation by collaborating with our community partners and organizations at OUWB. Overall, the program's adaptable framework along with its emphasis on collaboration and cultural relevance, ensures its transferability to different contexts, aiming to inspire youth and foster community connections.

Intro/Background
The Duke University School of Medicine Master of Biomedical Sciences Program (MBS), an innovative 10-month professional postbaccalaureate program, will enroll its 10th class July 1, 2024. This milestone marks successful outcomes including graduation rates, enrollment into medical and other health professional schools, and employment. Our program recruits a diverse group of students including first-generation, underrepresented (34% Black/AA, 13% Hispanic/Latino, 14% Asian, 2% American Indian/American Native), English as a second language, rural born, and low socioeconomic status. The program includes rigorous coursework in biomedical sciences and patient-facing clinical exposure as Emergency Medical Technicians-Basic. Program strategies for student success include high touch advising for academic success; access to a learning strategist and tutorial support; a course on learning fundamentals. Students can choose among several selective courses including one on planning for health professional education. They participate in a longitudinal course Essentials for Practice and Professional Development providing a humanistic view of health. Students can access counseling support. The AAMC Competencies for Entering Medical Students are used to design courses and assessments. Learners work in teams deliberately constituted to maximize cognitive diversity. Students participate in a robust teaming curriculum with facilitation of team and personal development to optimize team-based learning. Diverse Interdisciplinary faculty are physician, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist, psychologist, and nursing faculty, and PhDs in the basic sciences.

Relevance
MBS is a postbaccalaureate starting its 10th class July 2024. To date 386 graduates, 2611 of the 277 graduates who applied to schools post MBS have been accepted, 97% to medical schools.

Target Population
Students from groups historically underrepresented in medical, health professions, and biomedical sciences.

Lessons Learned
challenges and accomplishments, best practices, and/or innovations or general program framework description, transferability

• Placement as program within Duke University School of Medicine (DUSOM) provides opportunities.
• Students who take MCAT before and after MBS improved on average 20 percentile points.
• Team based learning optimized by deliberate construction of teams and intensive personal and team development.
• Learning specialist and tools such as LASSI have helped to identify relevant individualized learning strategies.
• Although MBS tuition is ~ 75% Duke undergraduate and 73% MD tuition, MBS tuition is still “high” with some, but limited, scholarship dollars.
• Diverse multidisciplinary/interprofessional passionate faculty.
• Successful collaboration with DUSOM research and Health System for gap years clinical and research jobs after MBS.
• MBS successfully transitioned through covid.
• Budget negotiations are critical.
• Uncertain impact of SCOTUS decision on race neutral admissions.
• Would benefit from robust strategic plan for the next decade and specifically plan for faculty transitions, curricular enhancements, improved graduate networking, and better resourced recruitment.

Program Introduction/Background
Established in 2022, The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) School of Medicine is East Texas’s only institution for medical education. Created to train physicians with a geographic tie to East Texas, the region will be better equipped to combat its existing health disparities. To begin shaping the future of medicine in East Texas, the school unveiled its Early Assurance Pathway (EAP) in the spring of 2023, making it the first pathway effort for the SOM. This multi-year program includes mentoring, developmental workshops, clinical experiences, simulation labs, research, volunteer opportunities, MCAT prep, speakers, and panel discussions. These asset bundles1 are intentionally curated to attract, cultivate, and retain local talent.

Relevance to ASPBP
The UT Tyler School of Medicine Early Assurance  Pathway creates an environment for student’s representative of East Texas to learn about a career in medicine while gaining skills to become a competitive medical school applicant. Students in the East Texas region have had limited exposure to careers in medicine due to socioeconomic, educational, and psychosocial barriers1 . The EAP is the initial effort of the SOM to eliminate such barriers by creating immersive experiences and providing valuable resources for students to be successful in their pursuit of attending medical school.

Target Population
The EAP program is open to students attending our eight collaborating colleges and universities which include: UT Tyler main academic campus, Texas College, Jarvis Christian University, LeTourneau University, Texas A&M University-Texarkana, Stephen F. Austin State University, Wiley University, and East Texas Baptist University. Participants must have successfully completed 60 undergraduate semester hours and have a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics (BCPM).

Our first cohort consisted of forty students where 42% self-identified as non-white/non-Caucasian and 45% indicated their permanent address is recognized by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) as a Primary Care Shortage Area (PCSA) or Medically Underserved Area (MUA). Of the cohort, 32% also self-reported they, or someone in their family, received free or reduced lunch while in K-12.

Lessons Learned
The EAP program launched mid-academic year which did not allow for a full year of initial programming for the first cohort; however, there were five (5) EAP students who applied to our SOM, where three (3) were accepted, and two (2) matriculated. Based on participant responses to a mid-point survey, we will include more research and programming opportunities that bring the whole cohort together for face-to-face interactions. We also learned a favorite part of the program was the MCAT preparation course but will alter this component to start during the summer before the academic year commences, allowing for more in-depth study time.

Most of the programming takes place in-person, but we have also begun implementing virtual options to accommodate the array of schedules and campus locations. The future will also include a digital classroom for students to utilize when and if they are unable to join a live activity.