Kansas journal of medicine最新文献

Introduction: Mentorship is important in medical education, yet its specific impact on pre-clerkship medical students interested in surgery remains underexplored. We hypothesized that a formal but unstructured surgical mentorship program would increase students' interest in surgery and improve their self-perceived readiness for the third-year surgical clerkship.

Methods: In this before-after study, pre-clerkship students at The University of Kansas School of Medicine were paired with volunteer surgical faculty mentors. An initial one-on-one meeting was required, while the frequency and structure of subsequent meetings were left to the participants. Surveys assessing student confidence and perceptions of the program were administered via Research Electronic Data Capture® (REDCap®) before the program and again six months later. Changes were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test for independent groups (p <0.05).

Results: Of the 47 students enrolled, 31 (66.0%) completed the preprogram survey, and 24 (51.1%) of these completed the post-program survey. After six months, students reported significantly greater confidence in their preparation and knowledge for the third-year surgical clerkship, surgical skills, and understanding of surgical career pathways. More students also identified potential residency letter writers. However, 87.5% of respondents reported inconsistent mentor-mentee meetings.

Conclusions: A formal yet unstructured surgical mentorship program significantly improved pre-clerkship students' confidence in pursuing a surgical career and preparing for the surgical clerkship. Despite inconsistent meeting frequency, the program enabled meaningful mentorship without requiring rigid scheduling or extensive time commitments from participants.

Introduction: The University of Kansas School of Medicine (KUSOM) seeks to improve health care in Kansas by matriculating students likely to meet the state's needs. A decline in in-state applicants and increased national scrutiny of admissions policies prompted a review of the admissions process to ensure alignment with the school's mission. Authors of this study evaluated the implementation and outcomes of a mission-driven, holistic admissions approach.

Methods: For the 2024 admissions cycle, KUSOM adopted a structured process emphasizing mission alignment across four stages: (1) Pre-screening - prioritizing applicants with strong Kansas ties; (2) Screening - enhancing secondary application questions to assess mission-relevant attributes; (3) Interviewing - using structured evaluations to assess mission-driven qualities; and (4) Selection - integrating mission alignment into committee deliberations. Admissions data from 2021 to 2024 were analyzed to assess impact.

Results: The updated process resulted in notable improvements. Kansas resident matriculants increased from 74% in 2023 to 85% in 2024. Interview invitations and admission offers to Kansas residents also rose. Matriculants with Kansas ties increased from 11 in 2021 to 19 in 2024.

Conclusions: A mission-driven, holistic admissions process successfully increased the number of students likely to practice in Kansas. These findings support the effectiveness of structured admissions strategies in meeting state health care workforce needs. Further research is needed to evaluate the long-term impact on residency and practice locations.