Jecca Rhea Steinberg1, Tyler S Bryant2, Anna L Carroll3, Paloma Marin-Nevarez4, Edmund W Lee5, Tiffany N Anderson6, Sylvia Bereknyei Merrell7, James N Lau8. 1. Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. Electronic address: jeccasteinberg@gmail.com. 2. Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. Electronic address: tsbryant@stanford.edu. 3. Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. Electronic address: annac12@stanford.edu. 4. Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. Electronic address: pmarinne@stanford.edu. 5. Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA; Stanford Surgery ACS Education Institute/Goodman Surgical Education Center, Stanford Department of Surgery, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. Electronic address: EdmundLee12@gmail.com. 6. Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA; Stanford Surgery ACS Education Institute/Goodman Surgical Education Center, Stanford Department of Surgery, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. Electronic address: tnanders@stanford.edu. 7. Stanford Surgery ACS Education Institute/Goodman Surgical Education Center, Stanford Department of Surgery, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA; Stanford-Surgery Policy Improvement Research and Education Center (S-SPIRE), Stanford Department of Surgery, 1070 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA. Electronic address: sylviab@stanford.edu. 8. Stanford Surgery ACS Education Institute/Goodman Surgical Education Center, Stanford Department of Surgery, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. Electronic address: jnlau@stanford.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Increased surgical workforce diversity diminishes health disparities. METHODS: Researchers recruited and nonrandomly enrolled participants into intervention and comparison groups for a quasi-experimental study of the impact of a seminar course on student exposure to diverse mentorship and service through surgery. All metrics were analyzed with chi-squared and paired t-tests. RESULTS: 109 students participated (34 intervention, 75 comparison). There were significant differences in the percentage of participants that newly met a surgeon of their race (intervention, comparison: 100%, 25%), their race and gender (80%, 21%), their religion (23%, 9%), and who completed health disparities research (90%, 45%, p-value for all <0.05). There was a nonsignificant change in participants' attitudes towards underserved populations in intervention and comparison groups. CONCLUSIONS: This preclinical surgery seminar course increased exposure of underrepresented students to surgeons from diverse backgrounds and may impact student attitudes towards the underserved. This class represents a replicable model for increasing mentorship.
BACKGROUND: Increased surgical workforce diversity diminishes health disparities. METHODS: Researchers recruited and nonrandomly enrolled participants into intervention and comparison groups for a quasi-experimental study of the impact of a seminar course on student exposure to diverse mentorship and service through surgery. All metrics were analyzed with chi-squared and paired t-tests. RESULTS: 109 students participated (34 intervention, 75 comparison). There were significant differences in the percentage of participants that newly met a surgeon of their race (intervention, comparison: 100%, 25%), their race and gender (80%, 21%), their religion (23%, 9%), and who completed health disparities research (90%, 45%, p-value for all <0.05). There was a nonsignificant change in participants' attitudes towards underserved populations in intervention and comparison groups. CONCLUSIONS: This preclinical surgery seminar course increased exposure of underrepresented students to surgeons from diverse backgrounds and may impact student attitudes towards the underserved. This class represents a replicable model for increasing mentorship.