Mini-Medical School Programs' Influence on Students' Desire to Pursue Medicine.

Purpose: Mini-Medical school programs have become an increasingly popular means of encouraging high-school students to consider medical professions. However, there is little research evaluating the long-term effect of these programs on influencing career choice. The purpose of our study was to determine the motivational factors for attending the Mini-Medical school programs at our institution, student satisfaction with their experience, and whether it impacts intended secondary education and career choices.

Methods: An online anonymous survey was distributed to Drexel University College of Medicine Mini-Medical school program graduates to determine factors influencing student participation and program satisfaction.

Results: The most influential factors in attending the program were to confirm an interest in medicine (n = 55, 95%) and parental advice (n = 29, 50%). Most maintained an interest in medicine: 57% (n = 33) pursued a pre-med degree, 55% (n = 32) planned to apply to medical school within 3 years; and 12% (n = 7) were either in medical school or matriculating in the fall of 2015. 91% (n = 53) participants noted the program's influence on choosing a pre-med undergraduate track.

Conclusion: Our results suggest Mini-Medical school programs significantly impacted students' decision to pursue a medical career through fostering interest and effectively answering students' questions about the field.