Purpose
Undergraduate students in pre-health degree programs often do not gain exposure to clinical work until late in their studies or even after graduation. The Healthcare Explorers (HCE) program at the University of Cincinnati and UC Health provides an introduction to healthcare careers via a course series that combines seminar speakers and paid internships for students as patient care assistants. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the gateway course in the HCE series using student feedback and reflection data.

Methods
Mixed method data were collected from students through feedback surveys and written reflection assignments. Descriptive statistical analyses described frequencies for the quantitative survey items. Inductive qualitative analyses identified themes that describe the impact of the course over time on students’ perceptions, understanding, and decisions regarding future careers in health care.

Results
Over four semesters, 159 students enrolled in the course; of these, 145 students completed mid-semester surveys and 151 students completed end-of-semester surveys. In addition to the survey data, students submitted 152 reflections as their first assignment and 118 reflections as their final assignment. Quantitative results demonstrated consistently high levels of satisfaction over all semesters. Several themes characterized students’ self-reflexivity in the written reflection data: feelings of inspiration and relief, consideration of personal and professional goals, self-confidence in skills and character, awareness of career options, key lessons learned, and determination to give back to individuals and communities.

Conclusion
Introducing students to patient care, clinical team roles, and career options early in their education prepares them to pursue the training and work experiences they need to achieve their individual goals. Formal programming such as the HCE program that combines a supportive course framework with a clinical internship provides students with critical experiences that encourage self-reflection and informed decision-making.