Preparing Postbaccalaureates for Entry and Success in Biomedical PhD Programs

Certain racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds remain underrepresented (UR) in the biomedical sciences. This underrepresentation becomes more extreme at each higher education stage. To support UR scholars during the critical transition f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:CBE life sciences education 2016-09, Vol.15 (3), p.ar27
Main Authors: Hall, Joshua D, Harrell, Jessica R, Cohen, Kimberley W, Miller, Virginia L, Phelps, Patricia V, Cook, Jeanette G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomedical Research - education
Biomedicine
College Entrance Examinations
Disproportionate Representation
Doctoral Programs
Education, Graduate
Female
Focus Groups
Graduate Students
Graduate Study
Humans
Individualized Education Programs
Interviews
Laboratory Training
Male
Minority Groups - education
North Carolina
Program Evaluation
School Readiness
Self Efficacy
Student Surveys
Success
Test Preparation
Transitional Programs
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Summary:Certain racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds remain underrepresented (UR) in the biomedical sciences. This underrepresentation becomes more extreme at each higher education stage. To support UR scholars during the critical transition from baccalaureate to PhD, we established an intensive, 1-yr postbaccalaureate training program. We hypothesized that this intervention would strengthen each participant's competitiveness for leading PhD programs and build a foundation of skills and self-efficacy important for success during and after graduate school. Scholar critical analysis skills, lab technique knowledge, and Graduate Record Examination scores all improved significantly during the program. Scholars reported significant confidence growth in 21 of 24 categories related to success in research careers. In 5 yr, 91% (41/45) of scholars transitioned directly into PhD programs. Importantly, 40% (18/45) of participating postbaccalaureate scholars had previously been declined acceptance into graduate school; however, 17/18 of these scholars directly entered competitive PhD programs following our training program. Alumni reported they were "extremely well" prepared for graduate school, and 95% (39/41) are currently making progress to graduation with a PhD. In conclusion, we report a model for postbaccalaureate training that could be replicated to increase participation and success among UR scholars in the biomedical sciences.
ISSN:1931-7913
1931-7913
DOI:10.1187/cbe.16-01-0054