The Professional Portal Track: Empowering Underserved Communities in Healthcare

1. THE Professional Portal Track: An Alternative Academic Path to Foster Health Care to Underserved Populations R. Rockhold1, S. Watson, H. Turner1 1University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS ABSTRACT PROGRAM STRUCTURE RESULTS The Professional Portal Track (PPT) is a two-year Master of Science degree program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences that trains students from underrepresented groups for academic biomedical careers. In addition, it can provide alternative pathways for entry into medicine and dentistry training of students from areas underserved by health care. Predicated on the hypothesis that recruitment of underrepresented students and those from rural backgrounds will result in a greater proportion who achieve academic or professional terminal degrees and who return to deliver health care to underserved areas, the PPT program also provides a unique academic path to medical or dental school admission. Students are recruited who document a rural residence or fall within federal guidelines for economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. All students must initially apply to and have been found academically non-competitive for regular admission, but in whom admissions committees recognize humanistic characteristics highly desirable in a health care professional. Each student must achieve individualized academic benchmarks during PPT training that include performance above the medical student mean in a first year medical school biochemistry course. If successful, a student achieves direct admission into medical or dental school. Begun in 2004, the sixth class will matriculate in August, 2009. Thirty-four students (92%) have graduated, of whom 68% are female and 56% are from a group underrepresented in health care training. From 2005-2008, medical student mean biochemistry final scores ranged from 81.2 to 85.9. Sixteen PPT graduates (47%) have exceeded the respective mean score in direct competition with regularly enrolled first year medical students. Of graduates, 77% demonstrate improved standardized test (MCAT or DAT) scores. A majority of graduates (77%) state a preference for establishing a practice in an underserved areas, with 50% indicating a location with a population of 10,000 or less. Sixteen (62%) of those whose preference was the medical track and seven (87.5%) in the dental track have been accepted into the professional school of their choice. Overall, 68% of matriculated students have achieved their primary goal into professional training. All graduates entering UMMC professional training remain enrolled in good standing. An eight additional graduates have entered professional terminal degree training at other institutions. Thus, a total of 88% of all graduates have now entered professional training. The PPT program identifies, nurtures and successfully prepares students from disadvantaged backgrounds for entry into medical and dental school training. (Supported in part by an award from the Mississippi Institute for the Improvement of Geographic Minority Health Disparities) Student applies initially for entry and does not meet admissions requirements Potential MSAC/DSAC ID PPT Candidate SOM/SOD/SoGSHS ADMISSION MSAC/DSAC Interview PPT student performance vs. 1st year medical students in biochemistry. Medical = all medical students; All PPT = all PPT students; SOM Accept = PPT students later accepted into SOM Percentage entry rate of PPT graduates into medical and dental schools. Overall = total entry rates for first four classes with yellow bar = medical, green bar = dental. Recommend Admission to PPT Program Director Admission Criteria • Maintenance of “B” average • Successful completion of Year 2 Graduate Biochemistry (Biochem 710) • Completion of Admission Criteria Master of Science • Using an anonymous, on-line survey, 22/25 graduates (88%) responded. • “How likely are you to practice in a medically-underserved community?” 77.3% (“Likely” or “Very Likely”). • “In what size community do you intend to practice?” 50% indicated a community of >10,000 persons. Maintenance of “B” average only • Small class size (8-11) • Individualized attention • Continuous review of students • Focused , developmentally staged, progressive , two year curriculum • Multiple outcomes PROGRAM NEED CONCLUSIONS MISSISSIPPI RURAL PHYSICIANS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM • Medical class expansion by 50% by 2016 • Only Mississippi residents are eligible for enrollment. • Underrepresented students at UMMC < state demographic • Greater than 50% of the state population is rural. • Fourth most rural in U.S. • All Mississippi counties qualify as federal Medically Underserved Areas, whole or in part. • 75% counties = health professional shortage area • The Professional Portal Track: • delivers a high quality Masters level graduate experience. • provides an additional mechanism for evaluation of admission into Medical Center professional programs. • has developed a biomedical sciences curriculum that is student learning outcomes-driven. • engages in a process of continuous improvement. • State legislature founded the MRPSP in 2007 to provide a comprehensive program to recruit, train and support physicians into rural health care practice. • Spanning more than a decade of training and support, MRPSP has four distinct phases: • Undergraduate • Medical/osteopathic training • Residency training • Initial practice support http://mrpsp.umc.edu Janie Guice Mississippi counties designated as Medically Underserved Areas Mississippi Sunrise IMGH159Q9QQHI.jpg