The undergraduate premedical experience in the United States: a critical review.
OBJECTIVE
To better understand the consequences of the premedical years for the character of (future) physicians by critically reviewing the empirical research done on the undergraduate premedical experience in the United States.


METHODS
We searched ERIC, JSTOR, PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and PsycINFO from the earliest available date for empirical, peer-reviewed studies of premedical students in the United States. We then used qualitative methods to uncover overall themes present in this literature.


RESULTS
The initial literature search identified 1,168 articles, 19 of which were included for review. Reviewed articles were published between 1976 and 2010 with the majority published prior to 1990. Articles covered two broad topics: explaining attrition from the premedical track, and investigating the personality traits and stereotypes of premedical students. Self-selection bias and high attrition rates were among the limitations of the reviewed articles.


CONCLUSIONS
There is very little current research on the premedical experience. Given the importance of the premedical years on the process of becoming a medical professional, it is imperative that we do more and better research on how the premedical experience shapes future physicians.
Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Katherine Y
KY
Lin
Sonali
S
Parnami
Andrea
A
Fuhrel-Forbis
Renee R
RR
Anspach
Brett
B
Crawford
Raymond G
RG
De Vries
Premedical education; attrition from premedical track; hidden curriculum; premedical syndrome; professionalization