Recruitment and retention of students from minority groups.
OBJECTIVE
Studies have identified strategies used in physical therapist education to recruit and retain students from minority groups. However, physical therapist education has evolved since these studies were published. The purpose of this study was to examine current practice in recruiting and retaining students from minority groups.


METHODS
Seventy program directors of programs offering master's or doctoral degrees in physical therapy responded to a survey.


METHODS
The survey questionnaire requested information on program demographics, numbers of applicants, students and graduates from minority groups, and recruitment and retention strategies utilized. The most frequently used strategies were identified. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were performed to determine which strategies were associated with better recruitment and retention of students from minority groups.


RESULTS
Fifty programs made a special effort to recruit and retain students from minority groups. Nine recruitment strategies and 3 retention activities were associated with programs having higher proportions of minority applicants, students, and graduates.


CONCLUSIONS
The most frequently used strategies were incongruent with the strategies used by programs with higher proportions of applicants, students, and graduates from minority groups. This study provides information to help physical therapist educators determine which strategies help recruit and retain students from minority groups.
Haskins
Awilda R
AR
Department of Physical Therapy, Florida International University, UP Campus, HLS 348, Miami, FL 33199, USA. haskins@fiu.edu
Kirk-Sanchez
Neva
N
D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002321:Career Choice; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D026761:Physical Therapy Specialty / Q000193:education*; D013336:Students, Health Occupations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D001741:Black or African American