Assessing Impact of Underrepresented Minority Advising on African American Medical Students

Purpose:

To determine the effectiveness of minority student advising in a sample of US African American medical students.

 

Method:

Ten African American medical students at a public medical school in the southeastern US were surveyed in May 2020. Our survey asked students to use a five-point Likert scale to assess their level of satisfaction with academic advising during medical school. The survey included statements related to the availability of minority student resources at the university, accessibility of advisors and advisor contribution towards students’ academic journey. Responses were collected anonymously with no identifying information.

 

Results:

The survey was completed by five of the 10 students (response rate 50%). With regard to accessibility of academic advisors, 40% reported ease of access to their advisor’s name and contact information, whereas only 20% reported agreement with being given that information in a timely manner. In terms of advisor contribution, 80% reported disagreement with a statement that their advisor offered helpful suggestions that were relevant to minority students. Only 40% reported agreement or neutrality towards a statement regarding advisor guidance contributing significantly to their educational journey.

 

Discussion:

The findings in this study also show that the majority of the underrepresented minority students were overall unsatisfied with their advising experience. This study demonstrates an urgent need to gain more insight into the professional challenges faced by minority medical students and to devise strategies for overcoming those challenges. There have been very few studies conducted over the last several years to examine the URM students’ medical school experience. Those that have been conducted have revealed that URM students experience less supportive and less positive social and learning environments.