IAFOR Journal of Education

Volume 6 – Issue 2 – Summer 2018

Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ Mentorship of Health Profession Students:
A Content Analysis Exploring the North Carolina Health Careers Access Program
Kaye Thompson-Rogers
North Carolina Central University, USA
Dannielle Joy DavisSaint Louis University, USA
Denise Davis-MayeAlabama State University, USA
Claudine Turner
Sisters of the Academy Institute, USA

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Abstract
The medical profession, as well as allied health careers, in the United States continues toexperience a lack of diversity in terms of the number of African Americans practicing in thesefields. This work highlights a postsecondary program developed to increase the population ofBlack physicians and health care workers throughout the nation: the North Carolina Health
Careers Access Program. Data from this study centers upon multi-year evaluation reports andjournaling. Mentoring serves as the conceptual framework in interpreting content analysis ofthese reports and the current program director’s reflective notes. Recommendations for practice
center upon mentor training and cultivating stronger program mentoring relationships between
students, faculty, and staff.
Keywords: mentoring, mentor model, HBCU, medical school admission, health careers

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Introduction
Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) emerged to meet the education andtraining needs of traditional African American students previously excluded from higher
education in the United States. These postsecondary institutions became centers of higher
learning that both educated and prepared group members to be contributors to theircommunities and the nation , and emphasized contributions their communities made (Cantey,
Bland, Mack, & Davis, 2011; Gasman, Nguyen, & Conrad, 2015). This paper describes theNorth Carolina Health Careers Access Program (NC-HCAP) at a historically Black college anduniversity (HBCU) located in North Carolina. The NC-HCAP program prepares minority
students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and pre-health fields to be
more competitive applicants when applying to medical schools, graduate and professional
programs. The purpose of this study centers upon offering a potential model for similar
mentoring efforts via review of the program history and outcomes of the featured initiative.
Literature Review
Research suggests that cultural environments employing a nurturing, supportive, family-likeatmosphere supports the academic and personal growth of students which contributes to student
academic success (Kendricks, Nedunuri, & Arment, 2013). HBCUs have cultivated this kindof environment and, as a result, have emerged as leaders in professional development andmatriculation of students into the health professions (Li, 2007). According to the U.S. Census
Bureau (2017), minorities comprised approximately 40% of the population of the UnitedStates: Blacks/African Americans (13.3%), American Indians (1.3%), and Hispanic Americans(17.8%). However, they account for merely 16.8% of the nation’s registered nurses, less than
10% of Ddoctor of Pharmacy enrollment, and approximately 9% of the physician workforce(Carter, Powell, Derouin, & Cusatis, 2015; Tejada, Parmar, Lang, & Ghogomu, 2015; Nivet &Castillo-Page, 2017). In other words, African American, Hispanic American, and American
Indian professionals collectively represented less than 20% of professionals in the healthsciences fields (Valentine, Wynn, & McLean, 2016). While these numbers highlight the
disparity in representation between the population of historically marginalized communities in
the United States and the population of health care providers from (and for) these communities,
it has been noted that HBCUs play an integral role in preparing professionals from thesecommunities for medical and health related service (Burrelli & Rapoport, 2008; United Negro
College Fund (UNCF), 2008; Gasman and Arroyo, 2014;; Gasman & Nguyen, 2016).
Mentoring, or transferring professional knowledge, skills, attitudes, and social capital from one
generation or person to another, has long served as an effective vehicle for educating andpreparing people for future careers (Davis, 2010). Rampton (2016) outlined several benefits of
having a mentor, including that mentors serve as trusted advisors who provide information andknowledge, create necessary boundaries for protégés, and provide an unfiltered opinion of
protégé ideas. He also suggested that mentors benefit protégés by sharing their experiences toimprove upon and areas to avoid, to encourage progress, and to stimulate personal andprofessional growth. Finally, mentors sponsored protégés by connecting them with personal
and professional networks, thereby offering their knowledge, skills, and achievements(Rampton, 2016).
Mentoring has been found to be particularly critical in the development of trainees, juniorfaculty, and early career investigators from under-represented backgrounds working inacademic research, medicine, and related disciplines. Pololi and Knight (2005) found that19

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mentoring contributed to an individual’s career development and personal growth in all fieldsof study and facilitated junior faculty developing personal, academic, and career management
skills, as well as a collegial network. They further found that mentoring in academia helped
junior faculty acclimate to their new environment by avoiding practices that lead to burnout,
while providing an effective means by which departments may address institutional anddepartmental needs for faculty retention and success (Pololi & Knight, 2005). Malmgren,
Ottino and Nunes Amaral (2010) revealed that, in terms of professional performance, both
protégés and mentors benefit from the mentoring relationship, with protégés more likely torank high in their performances ratings, receive higher salary, and promotions. Eby, Allan,
Evans, Ng and DuBois (2008) investigated mentoring relationships among youth in academics
and in the workplace, paying specific attention to whether the relationship between mentoringand individual outcomes were modified by the type of mentoring relationship. They found thatlarger amounts of validity were detected for the academic and workplace mentoring compared
to youth mentoring (Eby et al, 2008). Mentoring programs improved job placement and student
retention rates, engaged alumni, and provided an enriching college experience. Universities
and colleges with good mentoring programs ensured that mentors were knowledgeable,
effective, and had experience within diverse contexts, enabling them to offer support andassistance to meet the needs of novices (O’Brian, 2014).
Historically Black colleges and universities hold an extensive history of admitting andmentoring students from underserved and underrepresented communities (Gasman & Nguyen,2016). HBCUs were the first minority serving institutions established in the United States,
founded to provide access to quality education for Black students. While HBCUs enroll
students from all ethnicities, the constant throughout their 150 year collective history has been
students’ desires to be taught by mentors coming from the same backgrounds, experiencing thesame challenges, and holding success in their fields of study. Undergraduate and graduate
students have benefited from HBCUs and mentorship relationships available there by engaging
in opportunities and developing meaningful relationships with colleagues (2016).
Existing best practices
Chickering and Reisser (1993) suggested seven vectors of student identity development thatencourages practitioners to incorporate co- and extra-curricular initiatives with curricularlearning to educate the whole student (as cited in Patton, Renn, Guido, & Quaye, 2016).
Practices that promote access and affordability, academic achievement, as well as social andprofessional development were found to encourage persistence and graduation fromundergraduate institutions (Gasman & Arroyo, 2014). Mentoring has proven central to thesepractices. Faculty, professional staff, and administrators at HBCUs across the nation havementored students towards a more critical understanding of their curricular and social
experiences, guided career plan development using those experiences, and successful
introduction to their chosen professions (Griffin, 2012; Turner, Fries-Britt, & Snider, 2015).
HBCUs have been leaders in developing and implementing best practices to prepare students
from historically marginalized communities for careers in the health sciences. Three HBCUs(Howard University, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Spelman College) were among thenation’s top ten undergraduate feeder institutions for African Americans applying to medical
schools in the United States (Association of American Medical Colleges [AAMC], 2016).
These universities combined academic, social, and financial support with intrusive advisement,
professional development, preparation for standardized professional school entrance exams,
internships, and varied mentoring initiatives.

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Howard University has been home to a combined bachelor’s and medical degree program. As
such, undergraduate students in the pre-medical program, identified as medical students, werementored by medical school faculty and students on a consistent basis. Early identification withthe professional community built student confidence and a sense of belonging (Howard
University, 2017). Faculty and medical school student mentors provide targeted individual andgroup reviews as well as tutoring, where they encourage and supervise students’ academic
skills and co-curricular enrichment activities (undergraduate research, shadowing, andinternship experiences, among others). Of Howard’s 126 Black participants, 111 applied to
medical school (88%). Howard’s medical school applicants represent 2.1% of all Blackapplicants to US medical schools (AAMC, 2016).
Likewise, Xavier University of Louisiana utilizes formal faculty mentoring and informal peer
mentoring to promote student success and secure standing as the nation’s third highest supplierof Black medical school applicants (AAMC, 2016). Xavier faculty collaborated on a uniform
set of freshman chemistry and biology courses and developed an early alert system to inform
advisors and faculty of students who might benefit from additional support in their core
prerequisite courses. Xavier faculty provided supplemental instruction for students in course
work and in Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparation. Additional contact throughsupportive instruction external to the traditional classroom served as the foundation to formal
mentoring relationships. Further, faculty collaborated with professional advisors andcoordinators to provide intrusive advising and step-by-step guidance in the development of a
medical school application portfolio (including personal statements and faculty
recommendations, mock interviews, and a final review of medical school applicationmaterials). In addition, a supportive student environment has been fostered throughcollaboration within a cohort model that includes peer mentors, thereby facilitating peer-topeer learning and encouraging students to share responsibility in everyone’s success (HannahJones, 2015). Xavier’s commitment to mentoring recently produced 84 Black medical school
applicants out of 91 students. Xavier achieved a 92% rate of medical school application fromthat year’s cohort representing 1.6% of all Black applicants to US medical schools.
Spelman College, a women’s college, was the nation’s fourth largest supplier of African
American applicants to US medical schools in 2016, with 76 total Black applicants and 1.5%of all Black applicants to US medical schools (AAMC, 2016). Spelman mentors coordinatedand promoted introduction to the medical field through visits to healthcare facilities andprofessional schools; professional and paraprofessional training; and a health shadowing
program (Spelman College, 2017). Spelman has also been intentional about coordinating
recruitment fairs, campus visits, and lectures from medical school recruitment personnel.
Mentors exposed students to academic enrichment activities including undergraduate researchand professional school application workshops. Additionally, Spelman integrated the intrusive
advising and supplemental academic instruction necessary to support students in establishinggoals and preparing students to be competitive in medical school application process (Spelman
College, 2017).
This literature review suggests that the following are among the best practices employed by
HBCUs to prepare students for medical school admission: a purposeful, goal-directed, closeknit academic community; intrusive advising; intensive test preparation; intentional
preparation for the medical school application process; and mentoring. The mentoring
component is especially crucial for the following reasons:21

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1. It guides students in their preparation for the academic discipline and professional
training;
2. It inculcates students in a community of scholars and practitioners;
3. It celebrates students’ accomplishments.
The following section discusses strategies employed by the featured initiative, the North
Carolina Central University’s (NCCU) North Carolina Health Careers Access Program (NCHCAP), to prepare under-represented minority students to be competitive applicants forgraduate and professional programs in the health professions.
Significance of the Study
In recent years, getting into medical school has become more competitive. An application
surplus exists in medical school admission, with not enough colleges or universities to keep up
with the demand (Med School Admissions is Getting Too Competitive, 2015). Over the years,
the first author has had students with 4.00 GPAs score in the top percentile on the MCAT,
apply to sixteen or more medical schools, and not get an interview. This proves particularly
concerning and significant given America’s physician shortage of doctors of color (underrepresented racial minorities). Given the desperate need for increasing high quality health carein communities of color and unique medical and cultural characteristics that inform their degreeof well-being, the need of more culturally sensitive doctors and health care providers of racial
minority backgrounds is critical. This paper explores the program history and outcomes of one
initiative seeking to address the nation’s need for more Black doctors and health care
professionals: The North Carolina Health Careers Access Program.
Background of the Study
Dr. Cecil G. Sheps, a former physician at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in
Chapel Hill, North Carolina (NC), reviewed the state of North Carolina in 1971 and realized
the state had physicians, but a shortage of physicians of color. This shortage was mainly in therural and inner-city areas. Dr. Sheps knew that there had to be a solution. As he brainstormed
and discussed this situation with several colleagues, he developed an idea of how to address
the shortage. Sheps targeted minority and disadvantaged students to pursue health professions
as career options. He wanted students to be prepared academically to be competitive applicants
when applying to medical school and other health related graduate and professional programs.
This was the origin of the North Carolina Health Careers Access Program (NC-HCAP),
formally the North Carolina Manpower Development Program (Beecham-Green, 2011). The
program has been in existence for more than 40 years on the campuses of the University ofNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, Elizabeth City State University, University ofNorth Carolina at Pembroke, and North Carolina Central University in Durham.
The Director of the Health Careers Center manages the North Carolina Health Careers Access
Program in the NCCU Health Careers Center. The goal of the NC-HCAP is to increase thenumber of under-represented and disadvantaged minority students pursuing careers in healthprofessions. Furthermore, it seeks to prepare students to be academically competitive
applicants when applying to medical and other health related graduate and professional
programs. In preparing students, NC-HCAP offers:
a. mentoring;b. academic and health career counseling;

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Volume 6 – Issue 2 – Summer 2018c. health science seminars;
d. informational sessions/workshops;
e. graduate program seminars;
f. professional tests prep courses;
g. test-taking tips;
h. shadowing opportunities;
i. tours/site visits to health facilities/medical schools;
j. special presentations;k. conferences;l. study abroad;m. international experiences;
n. internships;
o. job placement;
p. other health related educational resources and materials.
Once students enroll, advisors in University College send a list of students interested in careers
in the health professions to the Health Careers Center. An e-mail is prepared and sent to
students providing information about NC-HCAP.
In 1988, the director of NC-HCAP on NCCU’s campus wanted students to have clinicalexperiences in an area of their health profession’s interest. She contacted numerous healthcare
facilities but found it difficult to locate agencies that were willing to accept undergraduate
students for clinical shadowing experiences. Determined not to give up, the director contacted
the Director of Duke University Hospital and Human Resources (DUH&HR). She explained
her situation and what she wanted her students to experience. During this conversation, shealso mentioned establishing a partnership with DUH&HR to provide clinical summer
internship opportunities for NCCU students. Students interested in medicine and other healthrelated areas would be eligible to apply for the internship based on certain criteria. Research
confirms that it is necessary for students interested in health professions to understand firsthand the day-to-day life of physicians and other health care professionals. Clinical shadowing
experiences are one of the most important components in preparing students for careers in thehealth profession (Johnson, 2011). The NC-HCAP director felt that adding this resource would
increase students’ probability of being more competitive applicants when applying tograduate/professional programs. Johnson (2011) holds that to be a competitive medical school
applicant a student must shadow a doctor at least once. He also recommended shadowing morethan one doctor if possible to give the student different perspectives (Johnson, 2011).
A partnership was developed between NCCU and DUH&HR. The DUH&HR director was
successful in contacting eight willing preceptors (teachers or instructors) willing to participate
in the program and supervise the NCCU undergraduate interns. As a result, in 1988 the ClinicalWork-Study Summer Health Program (CWSSHP) - now the Clinical Health Summer Program(CHSP) - began, and continues today (Thorpe, 1989). Thus, the academic resources, mentoring
and the Clinical Health Summer Program comprises the North Carolina Health Careers Access
Program.
Students interested in a career in the health professions complete a profile on their first visit to
the center, providing contact information, major, and career aspirations. Names are included
on the program listserv. Staff inform students of opportunities of their interest when the center
receives them. E-mails pertaining to health professions, recruiting events, internships,
jobs/fellowships, lectures, seminars, scholarships, and other health related opportunities are e-

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mailed to students on the list (Thompson-Rogers, 2016). The director provides academic andcareer counseling to all students interested in medicine and other health related careers.
Students interested in a career in the health professions are given a checklist for preparing for
medical school/health careers. The list is separated by classifications, beginning with whatcriteria are required by students during the freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior year tostay on track when preparing for medical school or other health related professions. All raceand ethnic groups are enrolled in the program.
The director of the NC-HCAP, who is also the University Pre-Health advisor, works withstudents preparing for graduate level health professional programs in medicine, dentistry,
physical therapy, occupational therapy, optometry, physician assistant, and other health-related
careers. The role of the University Pre-Health Advisor is to guide students on their paths to
medical school and other health related programs. Most universities that have a pre-healthadvisor also have an advisory committee that works closely with the Center and students.
Committee members craft letters for student applicants and send it to the pre-health advisor.
The letters are combined with the pre-health advisor’s letter to formalize the committee letter.
A committee letter from the pre-health advisor provides an all-inclusive description of theapplicant’s professional development and preparation. The letter also includes the student’s
perspectives and experiences. Medical School Admission Committees sometimes prefer and/or
require a committee letter. The committee letter gives the admission committee an overall
evaluation of the student from a group of professionals that know him or her. The letter
provides a detailed and precise assessment of the candidate. The committee letter carries anofficial endorsement from the college or university. This letter is only provided to students
with specific criteria (Nimonkar, 2017).
Mentoring components of the North Carolina Health Careers Access Program
The North Carolina Health Careers Access Program has several mentoring components: formal
staff-to-student mentoring relationships, peer-to-peer mentoring relationships, formal
professional mentoring relationships through the Clinical Health Summer Program, andinformal mentoring relationships. The formal staff - to - student mentoring relationship is afunction of the University College. Staff in the University College train the mentors. Mentoring
programs can be formal or informal. Formal mentoring programs have specific goals andpurposes, while informal mentoring is unstructured without goals and are based on personalneeds as they develop (Ross-Sheriff, Edwards, & Orme, 2017). Students who mentor otherstudents receive community service hours for their participation. NCCU requires all students
to complete 125 community service hours, which is mandatory before graduation. Mentors
associated with NC-HCAP are trained by staff in the Health Careers Center. The following
describes the mentoring programs in detail.
Formal staff-to-student mentoring relationships
As students enroll at NCCU, advising for freshmen begins in University College the first two
years of matriculation. University College is an academic success and enrichment departmentthat works with students to cultivate and enhance academic performance as they transition
through the first two years of their academic programs. Student engagement sessions, testtaking skills, stress management, time management, how-to-study, tutoring, and supplemental
instruction are offered during this phase. Formal staff-to-student relationships normally begin
during the first advising visit or once students receive a permanent advisor. The students meetwith this same advisor for two years, unless the advisor discontinues employment, transfers toanother position, or the student changes majors. University College advisors schedule
appointments to meet with students during the semester. These advisors keep a close

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relationship with their advisees/ protégées to make sure the students retain good grade point
averages (GPA) are attending classes, and are making use of resources if additional assistanceis required, such as tutoring. For students receiving an early warning grade (grade below a C),
the advisor contacts the student and discusses a plan to bring up the grade before the end of thesemester. Other alternatives might be to advise the student to drop the course if the advisor
feels the load should be reduced or the student feels it would be in his/her best interest to drop.
Once students complete the years in University College they transition to the department of
their major where they are provided an advisor within the department. Departmental advising
will be provided to students until graduation, unless the student changes majors.
Peer-to-peer mentoring relationships
The Health Careers Center implements peer-to-peer mentoring relationships. The purpose ofthis program is to provide guidance and positive influences to first-year students. The program
began in August 2015 and was implemented by the NC-HCAP director. Students are asked ifthey would like a peer mentor once they register with the Center. Peer mentors are juniors with
the Center who have registered to be a mentor and are assigned to first time freshmen or transfer
students. Normally the match is with two students in the same or similar disciplines. During
freshman matriculation, the junior mentor supports and encourages the freshman protégée in
his/her academic and personal growth. As relationships continue, the mentor becomes a friend
as well as a role model to the protégée. Mentors assist with study skills, improving social skills,
and setting career goals. The mentor also takes on other roles when mentoring. For instance,
listening to the protégée’s problems and making recommendations when needed. One of themost important objectives of the mentor is assisting the protégée with acclimating to college
life (Malmgren, Ottino, & Nunes Amaral, 2010). Mentors are asked to meet with the protégée
twice a week for two hours or more. Since its inception the program has had 53 mentors and
45 protégée participate. Mentors and protégée provide assistance to the Health Care Center
during special projects. Students receive community service hours for assisting the Center.
For peer-to-peer mentoring, the mentor or protégée has the option to continue the program
during the sophomore year and keep the same mentor, who will be a senior. The relationshipfollows the same process for that academic year. The mentor/protégée can withdraw from theprogram at any time without consequences. Sometimes, protégées would like to change
mentors. This request is permitted. Some of the protégées who have been mentored register tobe mentors when they become juniors and provide the same support that they received fromtheir mentors. This continuous cycle supports incoming NC-HCAP freshmen through their firsttwo years of enrollment at North Carolina Central University and prepares the protégée tosupport incoming NC-HCAP freshmen during their last two years of enrollment as a mentor(Thompson-Rogers, 2016).
Professional mentoring relationships
Professional mentoring relationships exist between the director of NC-HCAP and the students
with profiles registered with the Health Careers Center. The director mentors students byassisting them with making positive choices academically, taking ownership of their
responsibilities, cultivating life skills, developing core values, appreciating diversity/good peer
relationships, and assisting in graduate college preparations, all of which reflects the purposeand mission of the North Carolina Health Careers Access Program.
The director normally mentors 175 to 215 students each academic year. Students have a close
relationship with the director. The consistent increase in the number of students applying toparticipate in NCCU’s NC-HCAP indicates this program’s success. With specific reference to25

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Volume 6 – Issue 2 – Summer 2018the mentoring component of the program, participants mention the following academic andpersonal development milestones as benefits of the program via evaluations: increased selfconfidence; more objective and intentional views of their future; increased positive attitudes;
development of practical skills; increased employability; enhanced academic and study skills;
improved grade point averages and academic achievement; improved chances of application
to medical and professional study; and focus on their career aspirations. Professional
development mentoring components, such as career building workshops, seminars, and lectureattendance, reportedly improved participants’ comprehension, interviewing skills,
communication skills, critical thinking, problem solving, and soft skills (Thorpe, 1988).
The Clinical Health Summer Program
Another component of NC-HCAP mentoring lies within the Clinical Health Summer Program.
The Clinical Health Summer Program (CHSP) comprises a seven-week experiential learning
opportunity provided to eight eligible students. Eligibility is based on students enrolled in ahealth science or health related degree seeking program at NCCU. Applicants must have a 2.5
minimum grade point average, and have completed biology, chemistry, and math with at least
eight credit hours. Finally, students must be members of a racial group that is under-represented
in the health professions (i.e., African American, Native Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, andPacific Islanders) or from educationally or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Student
interns work at Duke University Hospital/Duke University Health Systems or at a private
practice in the Raleigh-Durham area for six weeks under the supervision of a licensed
healthcare professional in medicine, dentistry, optometry, podiatry, public health, nursing,health administration, allied health, or veterinary medicine (as a preceptor). CHSP students are
exposed to various medical procedures based on their field of interest (i.e., neurology, physicaltherapy, pediatrics, cardiology, oncology, dermatology, urology, and endocrinology). The
seventh week consists of professional development activities including work on resumes,
personal statements, presentation skills, soft skills, and interview skills. During this final week,
they also attend field trips and scheduled science, technology, engineering, and mathematics(STEM) and science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) seminars. The
program culminates with a ceremony where interns provide presentations on a topic of interest
to them during their internship.
The CHSP assures that interns acquire experience, knowledge, skills, professional judgement,
and remain interested in pursuing careers in the health profession (Thompson-Rogers, 2016).
Indicators of success for this component of the program include the eagerness of interns,
preceptors, and Duke University Medical System’s interest in expanding the program. For
instance, the Duke University Medical System requested that the internship be extended
beyond six weeks and that the numbers of interns be increased. In addition, many interns havebeen invited to continue the internship, volunteer, apply for employment, and/or offered otheropportunities (Thompson-Rogers, 2014). During site visits at placement agencies, preceptors
and their co-workers have complimented the effectiveness of the program and theprofessionalism of the interns (Thorpe, 1988). Preceptors further support the program and its
interns by writing recommendation letters for graduate and professional programs andproviding ongoing mentoring. The annual report for academic year 1989-1990 noted that sevenof the students participating in the Clinical Health Summer Program planned to continue theireducation and pursue a degree in the health profession. One student graduated and gained
employment with Duke University Medical Center (Thorpe, 1988).

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Informal mentoring relationships
The third mentoring phase is the relationship between students and faculty, staff, alumni, andstudent organizations. Some students who enroll at NCCU have a pre-existing relationship witha mentor. These mentors could be faculty, staff, alumni (K-12 teachers), sorority members,
church members, boys and girls club staff, staff working with summer NCCU STEM and
STEAM programs, or programs in neighboring communities. Students may request that theCenter match them with a mentor or students may seek their own mentors (Thompson-Rogers,
2014). The staff employed by the NC-HCAP work with students by providing resources toassist in achieving success in their academic programs.
Medical and health related graduate and professional matriculation
Annual reports offer a historical view of activities associated with the Health Careers Centerand the NC-HCAP. The 1989–1990 Annual Report notes the acceptance of six students into
medical programs, one into a dental program, and one into a pharmacy program for the 1989–
1990 academic year. Thorpe (1988) indicates that this was an increase from previous years.
Further indication of NCCU’s NC-HCAP success is the occurrence of past participants who
return to NCCU to assume tenured positions in the College of Arts and Sciences, where theNorth Carolina Health Career Access Program takes place (Thompson-Rogers, 2014).
Methods
Evaluation results from program reports serve as data for the study’s content analysis of
documents from 1989 to 2016. The population comprised undergraduate program participants.
In addition, journal notes from the current director of the featured program contributed tounderstanding the history and effectiveness of the initiative. The concept of mentorship served
as the conceptual framework used to view and interpret the data, as well as to form
recommendations. The constant comparative method of data analysis was employed.
Triangulation of data took place in terms of the use of both program reports and reflective
journaling. In addition, the use of reports from multiple years offers triangulation in terms oftime, thereby strengthening the study.
Results
Since its 1989–1990 annual report, the NC-HCAP program continues to show progress. For
instance, over the last five years, the student retention rate [shown in Table 1] rose from 69.2%
in 2009 to 80.6% in 2015. The rate has not met the projected goal, but continued to increase2009 - 2015, yet dropped to 77.7% in 2016.

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Table 1: Retention rates, 2009-2016 (freshman to sophomore year)
Cohort

Rate

Goal

2009

69.2%

70%

2010

67.7%

78%

2011

71.5%

79%

2012

73.2%

80%

2013

73%

80%

2014

79.8%

82%

2015

80.6%

82%

2016

77.7%

82%

Data collected by the College of Arts and Sciences further reveal that 34 students were admitted
to graduate and professional programs and 247 students completed internships. The following
academic year, 2013–2014, 40 students were admitted to graduate and professional programsand 221 participated in internships. In the 2014–2015 academic year, 45 students were admitted
into graduate and professional programs, while 103 were involved in internship opportunities.
In 2015–2016, 42 students were admitted to graduate and professional programs, with 99
students completing internships. Finally, during the academic year 2016–2017, 22 students
were admitted to graduate and professional programs and 118 students interned (Wilson &Nwosu, 2017). Mentoring contributed to this success as noted in personal communications tothe current program director.
Discussion
While the data suggest benefits to program participation, they also note areas of improvementin terms of the mentoring component of the featured initiative. While some sources advocate
mentoring relationships held between protégés and mentors who share ethnicity and culturalexperiences (Davis, 2010), the presumption is often that position and professional experiences
are sufficient preparation for practicing professionals to support and guide novices. Yet formal
mentors must be trained and engaged in practices that make mentoring relationships successful,and in fact mutually beneficial.
In addition, institutions should recruit Black faculty in STEM fields, which may encourage
confidence and, ultimately success of Black students via validation from experiencing
instruction and guidance from a faculty member possessing the same race. Historically Black
colleges and universities hold strong records in producing STEM undergraduates who pursue
graduate and professional degrees. This record has resulted in HBCUs being included among
the top twenty institutions awarding science and engineering bachelor’s degrees to Blacks from2006 to 2010.
Conclusion
While the target program discussed in this work realized success via increased numbers ofBlack students entering medical and health training programs/ careers, work in the area must
continue. The under-representation of members of marginalized groups of color in all health28

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Volume 6 – Issue 2 – Summer 2018professions continues to exist today (AAMCNEWS, 2017). Though significant progress has
been made through the contributions of the NC-HCAP, students are still faced with multiple
challenges presenting barriers to successful navigation of the medical career trajectory. For
instance, some students struggled with attaining MCAT and Graduate Record Exam scores
which make them eligible to enter medicine and other health-related graduate and/or
professional programs. This reflects the dearth of rigorous science and math curricula in asignificant number of traditional K-12 schools in the U.S. and a lack of resources and training
for K-12 STEM educators serving minority populations.
The lack of representation of native speaking, under-represented ethnic groups among STEM
faculty in higher education presented another challenge for program participants of this study.
For instance, during program evaluations, students mentioned difficulty in understanding theaccented English of some foreign born faculty members as a barrier to learning (ThompsonRogers, 2014). However, these language barriers might be remedied via multifaceted modes ofsharing information from the mentor. Overall, mentoring at HBCUs is essential to insure
students’ successful navigation of their academic journeys, professional development, andeventual careers in medicine and allied health professions. Recommendations for practice
center upon further cultivating program mentoring relationships between students, faculty, andstaff at HBCUs.

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Corresponding author: Dannielle Joy Davis
Contact email: djdavis@slu.edu

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