Interprofessional Engagement and Mentorship in Pipeline Programs on a Virtual Platform During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Health Career Collaborative (HCC) is a national pipeline program that partners with medical schools to mentor high school students traditionally underrepresented in healthcare using an innovative curriculum. Studies demonstrate the success of pipeline programs in increasing diversity in medicine, which is necessary in addressing the equally diverse health needs of patients to improve health equity. The final deliverable for the curriculum is a virtual health fair organized by the students to develop skills in collaborative research, community partnership, co-learning, and self-reflection. Our curriculum had three aims: 1) provide mentorship in students’ pursuit of interprofessional health careers; 2) prioritize students’ attitude towards online engagement by focusing on mental health and community-building; 3) increase students’ self-efficacy in tackling community health needs through interviews with experienced healthcare providers.
To evaluate the efficacy of our interventions, we developed a retrospective pre-post survey collecting student reported outcomes on the following 7-point scale: 1 = strongly disagree; 2 = moderately disagree; 3 = slightly disagree; 4 = neutral; 5 = slightly agree; 6 = moderately agree; 7 = strongly agree; na = not applicable. Students rated perceptions of self-efficacy, mentorship, and online engagement before and after participating in our curriculum. The change in self-reported ratings per student per aim were then compared using paired two-sample for means t-tests.
Through engagement with our curriculum, 11 out of 13 students showed a statistically significant improvement in self-efficacy regarding research, communication with community partners, and ability to pursue health careers. Assessing mentorship, 9 out of 13 high school students reported significant improvement in the mentorship experience. In response to the end of year survey, students specifically commented on the benefits of medical student mentorship. Lastly, 9 out of 13 students showed a statistically significant improvement in learning engagement, perception of mental health, and confidence in accessing support services.
Overall, the students reported increased confidence in pursuing interprofessional health careers and respect for other professions. They finished this program with a greater awareness of the health needs in their community and feel better equipped to advocate for health equity.
Consistent mentorship can enhance the performance of pipeline programs beyond purely academic skills. Such pipeline programs can improve self-efficacy, thereby increasing engagement and diversity in health careers. We recommend similar programs focus their efforts in increasing small-group time to strengthen mentorship, offer initiatives that engage the students with their community’s health needs, and provide early integration with interprofessional health educators.
