In-Person to Online Transition Increased Access and Geographical Diversity in Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine High School Outreach Programs

Abstract

Encouraging underrepresented minority and economically disadvantaged students to pursue medical and biomedical sciences careers is crucial, and it is important to engage them early on. However, limited access to learning resources, students' responsibilities toward their family and community, and biases in admission selection processes can challenge student engagement. The Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB) has provided outreach programs since 2012 to encourage students to enter medical and biomedical sciences pathways. Recently, we developed an online enrichment program to help address the aforementioned issues. The program was evaluated through a retrospective study design. The analysis found that the online program significantly increased the geographical diversity of participants, increasing those from less wealthy areas (p<0.001) compared to the in-person program (p=0.013). Additionally, there was a significant increase in the percentage of students matriculating from public schools, with high percentages of economically disadvantaged (14% vs. 28%, p<0.001) and underrepresented minority students (7% vs. 36%, p=0.028). Completion rates for students who participated online were high (89%), and they reported high levels of satisfaction. These findings suggest that the online program helped overcome barriers to participation and engagement, increased diversity, and maintained program rigor while introducing students to medical and science careers.