Support programs for minority students at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Abstract

The Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine ranks high among the nation's 19 osteopathic medical schools with respect to the percentage of underrepresented minorities (URMs) in the entering class. The college has strong recruitment and retention programs for URM and disadvantaged students. URM enrollment rose steadily from 11% in 1982-83 to 22% in 1997-98, despite the school's location in a rural, residential public university with few minorities as students or town residents. The college has six programs to support minority students through both undergraduate and medical school: the Summer Scholars Program (1983 to present), an intensive six-week summer program to prepare rising under-graduate seniors and recent graduates to apply to medical school; Academic Enrichment (1987 to present), to support first- and second-year medical students; the Prematriculation Program (1988 to present), an intensive six-week summer program for students who will matriculate in the college; Program ExCEL (1993 to present), a four-year program for undergraduates at Ohio University; the Summer Enrichment Program (1993 to present), an optional six-week program for students who will enter the premedical course at Ohio University; and the Post-baccalaureate Program (1993 to present), a year-long, individually tailored program for URM students who have applied to the medical college but have been rejected. The medical college first focused on supporting students already in the medical school curriculum, then expanded logically back through the undergraduate premedical programs, always targeting learning strategies and survival strategies, peer and faculty support, and mastery of the basic science content. The college plans to create an on-site MCAT preparation program and perhaps expand into secondary education.