Assessing the Impact of Early Undergraduate Exposure to the Medical School Curriculum

Background Programs such as mini-medical school programs have been implemented to introduce students to the medical school curriculum through a series of lectures in foundational sciences and healthcare topics. Since 2013, the UNC School of Medicine (SOM) has offered the Introduction to Clinical Medicine for Undergraduates (ICMU) course as an opportunity for UNC undergraduate students to be introduced to the medical school curriculum and integrated into the introductory clinical skills curriculum. This study explored the relationship between experiences from taking this course, pursuit of further education in healthcare professions, and preparedness for future clinical courses. Methods An anonymous survey was distributed to all students who took the ICMU course at UNC-Chapel Hill as an undergraduate from 2013 to present. The locally developed survey consisted of 13 scaled questions asking about their experiences in the course and decisions to pursue further healthcare professional education. Survey results were analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistics. Results Respondents perceived the experience increased their confidence and preparedness for future clinical courses in the competency measures of taking a patient history, performing a physical examination, and developing a differential diagnosis. Inclusion of students in the clinical skills course was significantly associated with their confidence going into their health professions school of choice (p = .002). Additionally, exposure to UNC SOM students, faculty, and culture was found to play a role in students choosing to attend UNC SOM. Conclusion Integration of undergraduate students into the medical school curriculum has motivated continued pursuit of education in a healthcare profession.