Increasing Access to Medical Education for Students from Medically Underserved Communities

Abstract

The Premedical Honors College (PHC) is an eight-year, BS-MD program created in 1994 by Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and The University of Texas-Pan American (UT-PA) to increase the number of physicians addressing the health care needs of underserved populations in Texas. The PHC targets South Texas, a 13-county, medically underserved area with a population that is 82% Hispanic. To date, the PHC has had 159 matriculants and 71 graduates, of whom 60 (84.5%) have matriculated into medical school. These results are significant considering that in 1996, only four students from all five South Texas colleges (combined enrollment of 30000 students) were accepted to medical school. An outcomes study comparing PHC matriculants with students of similar academic ability, ethnicity, and interest in medicine revealed that the odds of medical school matriculation were seven times higher for PHC students than for non-PHC students. The PHC's initial success has been acknowledged by the Texas legislature, which recently passed a bill to promote the PHC's replication. In addition, the number of PHC students-of whom 95% are Mexican American-who matriculate into medical school annually is significant nationally. In 2001, only 386 U.S. medical school matriculants (2.3% of all matriculants) were Mexican American; 17 of these students (4.4%) were PHC graduates. If current trends continue, the PHC could significantly expand the number of physicians serving minority and medically underserved populations in Texas and the nation. Also, the PHC provides an opportunity for research on programs designed to create pathways from high school to medical school.

Faculty Diversity Programs in U.S. Medical Schools and Characteristics Associated With Higher Faculty Diversity

“…Examples of such programs include the Premedical Honors College, an eight-year high-school-through-medical-school program created by Baylor College of Medicine and The University of Texas-Pan American, and the intensive Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP) that prepares undergraduate students in science, writing, and test-taking skills. 5,21 The long-term impact of these programs on faculty diversity should be evaluated, since our results suggest that investment in this type of program may be one of the most effective strategies in improving faculty diversity.…”

Health and Health Care Disparities: The Effect of Social and Environmental Factors on Individual and Population Health

“…This may be due to the lack of or shortage of educational materials, services, or access that in many cases are available to middle and upper class families — books in the home, access to quality pre-K programs, a parent who can serve as a role model and guide for their child’s educational advancement, and well-resourced schools and after-school and summer programs — all of which profoundly contribute to success at every point along the academic pipeline (K-16) [25,26,27]. …”

“…Without it, it is difficult to convince minority students or faculty that they are valued and supported. Beyond the admissions process there must be greater investment in student support services, such as mentoring, tutoring, student wellness, and “an early warning system” to identify and help students in academic distress [27]. …”

Disparities In Human Resources: Addressing The Lack Of Diversity In The Health Professions

“…A well-designed evaluation found that the number of UT-PA graduates matriculating into medical school dramatically increased after implementation of the honors program, demonstrating that a comprehensive college-level program can boost the overall number of minority students from an underserved region entering medical school. 14 …”