The Leaky Pipeline: Factors Associated With Early Decline in Interest in Premedical Studies Among Underrepresented Minority Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Largely because of negative experiences with chemistry classes, URM students and women show a disproportionate decline in interest in continuing in premedical studies, with the result that fewer apply to medical school.

Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning Strategy Enhances Students’ Higher Level Thinking Skills in a Pharmaceutical Sciences Course

“…Yet, despite a growing body of evidence demonstrating the efficacy and superiority of active-learning strategies and national reports calling for the adoption of these methods, [1][2][3][4] instructional strategies in science and math disciplines tend to be passive, leading to student disengagement and contributing to the "leaky pipeline" of science. [5][6][7][8][9] The reasons science faculty members give for being reluctant to adopt active-learning strategies include the significant amount of time needed to prepare materials, the reluctance to reduce the amount of material covered, and the perception that students are unwilling to engage in or prepare for these types of classroom activities. [10][11][12] In the pharmacy academy, active-learning strategies are recognized as important to achieving educational outcomes and, therefore, widely adopted in professional programs.…”

Reforming Science: Structural Reforms

“…Women with Ph.D. degrees and young children are 35% less likely than men with young children, and 28% less likely than women without children, to obtain tenure (18). The pipeline is also leaky for underrepresented minorities in science (4,12,21), and recent evidence indicates that minority applicants are less likely to receive research funding from the NIH, even after accounting for education, country of origin, training, employer, prior research awards, and publications (38). The leaky pipeline represents an enormous systematic loss of talent and diversity to science.…”

A Hospitalist mentoring program to sustain interest in healthcare careers in under-represented minority undergraduates

“…[13][14][15][16] During the 2009 to 2010 academic year, information about the program, together with an application, was e-mailed to all students at UCD who selfidentified as having interest in healthcare careers. This information was also distributed at all prehealth clubs and gatherings (ie, to students expressing interest in graduate and professional programs in healthcarerelated fields).…”