The Effect of DUCOM's Mini-Medical School Summer Camp on Students' Interests in Medicine

Abstract

Drexel University College of Medicine hosts two, three-week long Mini-Medical School Summer Camps each summer. These programs offer high-school seniors and freshmen in college the opportunity to experience various aspects of medical school and the life of a physician: attending lectures, observing surgeries, shadowing clinical physicians, etc. The purpose of this study is to see if the program increases students' interest in pursuing a career in medicine, the aspects of the program that accomplish this, and assess general satisfaction of the program. Information was collected from surveys administered to students before and after completion of the program. The program failed to show a difference in students' interest of pursuing a career in medicine before and after the program. Experiences in the operating room and ambulatory care (shadowing) were shown to be most influential on a student’s decision to pursue a career in medicine. Students indicated the most enjoyed activity for both sessions was observing surgeries in the operating room. The majority of students would do the program again and recommend the program to their friends. Future studies should be conducted on similar programs to look at variables such as different age groups or socioeconomic statuses, and the impact these factors have on pursuing careers in medicine.