A Degree Program in Modern Anatomical Sciences Aimed at Improving Matriculation and Retention Rates for Underrepresented Students in Medicine
Authors: Peterson Dana , Vinyard Christopher J. , Franks Erin M. 
Published: May 2022

Background

The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) reported that 28% of all medical school applicants for the 2018‐2019 application cycle indicated their ethnicity as different from Caucasian or Asian. Of those accepted, approximately 23% reported their ethnicity as different from Caucasian or Asian.1 Even as these numbers represent increases in total numbers of underrepresented students matriculating to medical school, they are still underrepresented as a proportion of the US population.2, 3 In 2019, a one‐year master’s degree program in Modern Anatomical Sciences (MAS) was refocused as a pathway for increasing the number of students underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) at our institution. The pathway was first implemented in the 2020 – 2021 academic year.

Questions/Purposes/Hypotheses

Can a master’s degree program focused on anatomical sciences increase the number of URiM students that matriculate to an affiliated medical school?

Can a strategically designed master’s degree program increase the number of URiM students that successfully complete the first year of medical school?

Methods

A one‐year master’s degree program that accepts no more than 16 applicants annually. Coursework includes:

21.0 credit hours of basic science content taken jointly with first‐year medical students.

6.0 credit hours and up to 40 clinical hours observing biomedical imaging.

4.0 credit hours devoted to the design, implementation, and communication of results of a scholarly project.

Results

To date, 28 students have been admitted to the pathway program. All 12 URiM graduates of the 2020 ‐ 2021 academic year matriculated to the current first‐year medical school class. These students represent 7.5% of the class and markedly boost the historical diversity representation at the school (14% URiM over past four years). MAS pathway students consistently perform as well, or better, in coursework taken jointly with first‐year medical students. For example, among first‐year medical students taking the first gross anatomy practical exam, MAS students were 22 times more likely to score above 90% compared to a traditional first‐year medical student. Finally, of the 18 students awarded MAS degrees in 2020 and 2021, 83% have matriculated to our medical school, and cumulatively 94% have matriculated to allied health schools in Ohio.

Conclusions

Since its inception in 2019, the one‐year master’s degree program in Modern Anatomical Sciences has proven effective in increasing the number of underrepresented in medicine students at our medical school. The curriculum design successfully prepares students for the rigor of the pre‐clerkship curriculum at our institution. Taking basic science courses alongside medical students builds confidence and prepares students to be class leaders in their first year of medical school. The small class size provides students greater opportunities to interface with medical school faculty and clinicians, as well as develop positive, affirming relationships with their classmates. These connections are likely to benefit the students throughout their medical school careers.

References

AAMC. Diversity in Medicine: Facts and Figures 2019, Washington, DC: AAMC; 2019

AAMC. Altering the Course: Black Males in Medicine. Washington, DC: AAMC; 2015

Lett LA, Murdock HM, Orji WU, Aysola J, Sebro R. Trends in Racial/Ethnic Representation Among US Medical Students. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(9):e1910490. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.10490