48.1 Novel Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Virtual Summer Immersion Program for Medical Students: Building a Pipeline to Grow an Inclusive Workforce

Abstract

A virtual summer program, aimed to increase interest and exposure to the field of child and adolescent psychiatry, was offered to rising second-, third-, and fourth-year medical students at UC San Diego. Early exposure to the field of child and adolescent psychiatry along with structured programming and community building was thought to increase interest in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry, ultimately growing an inclusive workforce of child and adolescent psychiatrists to meet the needs and celebrate the strengths of our communities. In this summer experience, 9 medical students with diverse identities participated in an immersive summer program that included didactics, completion of a scholarly project, supervision, mentorship, and community outreach, in addition to a summer stipend. External evaluators measured the efficacy of the 2020 summer program using a pre/postdesign and focus groups. Of the 9 medical students who participated in the virtual summer program, all completed a preprogram survey about attitudes and interests in child and adolescent psychiatry. Eight completed postprogram surveys and participated in a 90-minute focus group. The feedback from the postprogram survey and focus group was overwhelmingly positive, with all 8 respondents reporting that they were very satisfied with the program and more likely to pursue a child and adolescent psychiatry career as a result of participating in the program. Youth outreach presentations and individual mentoring sessions were rated as the most useful program components. Key themes that emerged to explain the high levels of participant satisfaction include: 1) community—the sense of comfort among students in the cohort; 2) education—engaging and identifying with expert child and adolescent psychiatry speakers from across the country; 3) faculty leadership—commitment, availability, and encouragement; and 4) learning and embracing perception shifts—dispelling popular and preconceived notions about child and adolescent psychiatry. The findings of the present study suggest that a virtual summer program involving medical students increases interest in, exposure to, and appreciation for the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. Further study should include expansion and replicability of the program components and curriculum.