Curriculum Innovations: Creation of a Longitudinal, Neurology-Centered Pipeline Program to Motivate and Support Students From Racial/Ethnically Marginalized Groups

Abstract

IntroductionPremedical students who identify from historically marginalized racial and ethnic backgrounds are more likely to lose interest in medicine than their White counterparts. Loss of interest has been attributed to a lack of exposure to the field and little mentorship.ObjectivesThe PreDoc Program was designed as a longitudinal experience to promote exposure to and interest in academic medicine, particularly through the lens of neurology for premedical students who identify from historically marginalized racial and ethnic backgrounds.Methods and CurriculumThe program included the following core components: (1) senior (faculty) mentor to facilitate direct contact with a physician, networking, and professional development coaching; (2) junior (medical student) mentor to provide near peer support and increased knowledge of the medical school application process; (3) large group meetings aimed at teaching professional development and working through clinical problem-based learning; (4) shadowing experiences aimed at increasing knowledge of patient care delivery and other academic roles; and (5) a clinically oriented project. After initial grant support to create the program, it has been maintained successfully with minimal funding through the Department of Neurology.Results and AssessmentThe program recruited 29 student participants who completed at least 1 year of the program, 18 senior mentors, and 23 junior mentors over 4 academic years. The overall quality of the program was rated at 4.7 of 5 (median 5, range 2), with an upward trend seen over time. Over its first 2 years, the program facilitated the following estimated activities: 45 in-person senior mentor meetings, 27 in-person junior mentor meetings, 42 shadowing experiences, 60 large group meetings, and 360 email communications. Student-reported strengths included ease of shadowing, usefulness of problem-based learning cases, mentor relationships, and encouragement received. Areas for improvement included increasing the strength of junior mentor relationships and increased opportunities for socialization outside of the formal meetings.Discussion and Lessons LearnedIt is feasible to create a successful, longitudinal, clinically focused undergraduate pipeline program for students who identify with historically minoritized racial and ethnic backgrounds with minimal funding centered in a Department of Neurology to help promote diversity within the field.

A critical systematic review assessing undergraduate neurology pipeline programs

“…The resulting citations and abstracts were put into Covidence software. As shown in the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) diagram (Figure 1), 278 duplicate studies were removed, and 2,574 studies were screened for inclusion by the six reviewers (AK, IY, JE, KO, NL, and RA) based on the following inclusion criteria: (1) The program must be related to neuroscience or neurology, (2) The population of participants was limited to students in either K-12 education or undergraduate college students, and (3) The program had to have been implemented and provided specified outcomes. Before the Covidence screening, the medical librarian (CP) met with the reviewers to review the screening process and to ensure fidelity.…”

“…Thus, a disconnect appears between this expressed interest in neuroscience among undergraduates and the long-term pursuit of the field (2). This dwindling interest among undergraduate students is oftentimes attributed to limited clinical experience, lack of guidance and support from mentors, and insufficient knowledge about neuroscience that motivates them to pursue such a field of study (3). Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased concern among neurology residents on the future of neurological patient management, care, and research, which could translate to unease about the profession at the undergraduate level (4).…”

The First Issue

“…The article provides a roadmap for integrating the excitement of clinical neurology early into undergraduate training. In the next article, Fuentes et al 13 present a longitudinal PreDoc program that links undergraduate institutions with clinical training programs. Students peer into the lives of neuroscience clinicians and identify the passions and sense of belonging that pursuing a career in neurology brings.…”

Neurology ® Education Fulfilling an Age Old Mantra in Medicine

“…11 The article titled "Curriculum Innovations: Creation of a Longitudinal, Neurology-Centered Pipeline Program to Motivate and Support Students From Racial/Ethnically Marginalized Groups" draws on research showing that lack of exposure and mentorship are barriers to pursuing neurology for underrepresented students. 12 In this study, a pipeline mentorship program provided a cost-efficient approach to overcoming these barriers for undergraduate students. The program uses a tiered mentorship model-similar to residency-with a senior faculty mentor and junior medical students who serve as near peers to the undergraduate students.…”