title: Hospital-based, Multidisciplinary, youth mentoring and medical exposure program positively influences and reinforces health care career choice: "The Reach One Each One Program early Experience".
abstract: BACKGROUND
  According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, underrepresented minorities (URMs) are more likely to leave science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields at higher rates than their peers during undergraduate studies. Many institutions of higher learning have implemented pipeline programs aimed at preparing and inspiring high school and college aged students in select careers in health sciences with varying levels of success. Research has shown that a health care workforce that mirrors the community they serve is more effective in reducing health disparities and increasing positive health outcomes. We hypothesize that a hospital-based, multidisciplinary youth mentoring and medical exposure program will enhance the decision of URM high school students to choose healthcare careers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of the Reach One Each One Program (ROEO) was performed. ROEO is a hospital based, 11-week multidisciplinary youth mentoring and medical exposure program for inner-city high school students. The analysis was based on a phone survey of the twenty-six (26) seniors who completed the program and subsequently graduated from high school between May 2013 and May 2015 to assess the following: 1) College enrollment/attendance, 2) Health profession majors, and 3) Pre-med status. The study was approved by the Morehouse School of Medicine Institutional Review Board.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the twenty-six students, 23 were female and 3 were male; 25 (96%) of the students were African American and one student was a Caucasian female. Twenty-four (92.3%) of the students were enrolled in college and 2 (7.7%) were scheduled to begin in the spring semester of 2016. Twenty-one of the 24 attending college at the time of the survey (87.5%) were enrolled in a health science degree program and 16 (66.7%) confirmed that they were enrolled in pre-medical (Pre-med) curriculum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospital-based, multidisciplinary medical mentoring programs can have a positive impact on the lives and health care career decisions of aspiring URM high school students. Further study will be necessary to validate the most influential components needed for the success of such programs.
authors.affiliation: Morehouse School of Medicine, USA. Electronic address: odanner@msm.edu.
authors.forename: Omar K
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Danner
authors.affiliation: Morehouse School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lokko
authors.affiliation: Emory University School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Felicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mobley
authors.affiliation: Morehouse School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Montreka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dansby
authors.affiliation: Atlanta Public Schools, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maze
authors.affiliation: Atlanta Public Schools, USA.
authors.forename: Brene'
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.affiliation: Grady Memorial Hospital, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Morehouse School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Leslie Ray
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.affiliation: The Shepherd Center, USA.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Harrington
authors.affiliation: Emory University School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.affiliation: Morehouse School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Clarence
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Michigan State University School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Morehouse School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Derrick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beech
authors.affiliation: Emory University School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Sheryl
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heron
authors.affiliation: Morehouse School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Ed
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Childs
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000071252:Mentoring; D008913:Minority Groups; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: Healthcare career choice; Healthcare disparities; High school students; Hospital-based programs; Medical exposure; Youth mentoring