Problem: Medical students from groups that are underrepresented in medicine are less likely to pursue careers that incorporate research as compared to their white peers. Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA)-funded institutions encouraged centers to establish short-term, mentored summer research opportunities to motivate students underrepresented in medicine to enroll in medical school and ideally choose a career that incorporates research into their clinical practice.
Approach: The Mentored Experience To Enhance Opportunities in Research (METEOR) Program was established in 2012 in partnership with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children's National (CTSI-CN) and The George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Rather than a single summer experience, the METEOR Program is innovative in that it is intended to support the success of participants throughout the duration of their medical school training and beyond.
Outcomes: Scholarly output of participants of the first four cohorts included 23 empirical research articles in peer-reviewed journals, five review articles, eight case reports, one empirical research article in a student-led journal, one commentary in a professional journal, 20 university-based poster presentations, three national poster presentations, and one international poster presentation. Interviews revealed themes aligned with constructs of the Social Cognitive Career Theory. Overall mentorship was seen as a key component of the METEOR Program. In addition, the ability to come to campus prior to the start of medical school, as part of a cohesive cohort, along with the addition of lectures and field trips, further enhanced participants' experiences.
Next steps: Our findings will be incorporated into improvements to the program for future cohorts and may inform the design of similar mentored research programs. With increased enrollment, quantitative studies of the effectiveness of the program are planned.
Keywords: Medical students; URM; mentoring; qualitative; research.