Purpose
The Summer Scholars Program and Pre-Matriculation Program at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM) aim to support students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds and those who have been historically underrepresented in medicine. The Summer Scholars Program targets students interested in a medical career, while the Pre-Matriculation Program is for students already accepted into medical school. We conducted a retrospective analysis of these programs to assess their effectiveness in supporting student success at OU-HCOM.

Methods
Both programs were established 43 years ago and updated in 2023 to align with OU-HCOM's curriculum. Each program runs for 4 weeks, with the Pre-Matriculation Program designed to ease accepted students’ transition into the OU-HCOM curriculum and the Summer Scholars Program aimed at increasing prospective students' familiarity with the college by simulating a first-year medical student experience. We analyzed the graduation rates of past Summer Scholars and Pre-Matriculation participants enrolled at OU-HCOM, comparing them with the overall class graduation rate over the past 6 years.

Results
Of the Summer Scholars cohort, 64% were later accepted to OU-HCOM, with 87% of them successfully graduating. Students in the Pre-Matriculation Program alone also had an 87% graduation rate. Those who completed both programs achieved a 92% graduation rate, comparable to the overall class rate of 93.7%.

Conclusion
OU-HCOM's summer pathway programs help improve participants' academic performance, knowledge of basic sciences, and familiarity with the curriculum, enhancing student retention and graduation rates. The highest success rates were achieved by historically underrepresented students who participated in both programs, with graduation rates similar to the entire class.