Running a successful STEMM summer program: A week-by-week guide.

While some established undergraduate summer programs are effective across many institutions, these programs may only be available to some principal investigators or may not fully address the diverse needs of incoming undergraduates. This article outlines a 10-week science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) education program designed to prepare undergraduate students for graduate school through a unique model incorporating mentoring dyads and triads, cultural exchanges, and diverse activities while emphasizing critical thinking, research skills, and cultural sensitivity. Specifically, we offer a straightforward and adaptable guide that we have used for mentoring undergraduate students in a laboratory focused on mitochondria and microscopy, but which may be customized for other disciplines. Key components include self-guided projects, journal clubs, various weekly activities such as mindfulness training and laboratory techniques, and a focus on individual and cultural expression. Beyond this unique format, this 10-week program also seeks to offer an intensive research program that emulates graduate-level experiences, offering an immersive environment for personal and professional development, which has led to numerous achievements for past students, including publications and award-winning posters.

Partnership in Cancer Research (PCAR) Program Increases Medical Student Knowledge and Confidence to Perform Cancer Research.

Arkansas has a high cancer burden, and a pressing need exists for more medical students to pursue oncology as a career. The Partnership in Cancer Research (PCAR) program provides a summer research experience at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences for 12 medical students who have completed their first year of medical training. A majority of participants spend time pursuing cancer research in basic science, clinical, or community-based research. Students report on their research progress in an interactive "Live from the Lab!" series and assemble a final poster presentation describing their findings. Other activities include participation in a moderated, cancer-patient support group online, lecture series on cancer topics, medical simulations, palliative care clinic visit, "Death Over Dinner" event, and an entrepreneurship competition. Students completed surveys over PCAR's first 2 years in operation to evaluate all aspects of the program. Surveys reveal that students enthusiastically embraced the program in its entirety. This was especially true of the medical simulations which received the highest evaluations. Most significantly, surveys revealed that the program increased cancer knowledge and participant confidence to perform cancer research.

Expanding the Public Health Pipeline Through the Public Health Influencers Summer Institute.

The need for a robust public health system in the United States is critical for safeguarding population health. However, current data suggest an insufficient number of individuals entering or staying in the governmental public health workforce. Expanding the public health pipeline requires creative thinking about recruitment and training activities. To attract students to public health and other health-related fields, including medicine, one institution in the Southeast recently initiated the Public Health Influencers Summer Institute (PHISI), a program that addresses the beginning of the career development continuum: recruitment of high school students. For this investigation, we reviewed evaluation data of the PHISI and provided descriptive analyses and selected quotes to reflect student learning. Participants reported increased familiarity with all public health topics after participating in the program, with the greatest increases in public health policy and social determinants of health. In addition, all participants reported increased or significantly increased understanding of public health after participating in the program. While interest in the field of public health increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are not enough individuals entering or staying in the public health workforce, leaving a critical shortfall. Introducing high school students to the field of public health may increase their interest in entering the public health workforce in the future, thereby strengthening the overall public health infrastructure. We propose that the PHISI may be an innovative strategy for increasing both the number and diversity of students interested in pursuing a career in public health.

Outcomes of the UAMS summer undergraduate research program to increase diversity in research and health professions.

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) aims to increase diversity in research and health-related careers. The SURP provides underrepresented minority (URM) and disadvantaged students with research, mentoring, and networking experiences; real-life surgical observations; and simulated cardiovascular demonstrations. A postprogram survey was developed to assess program outcomes and explore ways of improving the program to stimulate URM and disadvantaged students' interest in research and health-related careers. This is a report of those postprogram survey findings. Using a survey research design, an online survey was emailed to participants (n = 88). Data were collected for 6 weeks beginning March 2020. There were 37 multiple-choice and open-ended questions regarding education, career choices, and program experiences. Responses were downloaded to statistical software for analyses. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Major themes were identified for qualitative data. Responses were received from 44.3% (n = 39) of former SURP participants. Overall, 59% stated that the SURP influenced their career goals. When asked about mentor-mentee relationships, 69.3% responded that their interactions were excellent or good; 61.5% maintained contact with their mentor after the SURP. Finally, 79% indicated their SURP experience was excellent or good, and 84.6% would recommend the SURP to others. The SURP has been successful at providing URM and disadvantaged students with positive research experiences and long-term mentor-mentee relationships and has influenced educational and/or career goals. Programs that expose URM and disadvantaged students to basic, clinical, and/or translational research are beneficial for stimulating interest in research and health-related careers.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Mentor-mentee relationships were extremely beneficial as many of the former participants maintained contact with their summer mentor after the program ended. This assessment also revealed that exposing underrepresented and minority students to research has a long-lasting effect on career and educational goals.

Intervening on impostor phenomenon: prospective evaluation of a workshop for health science students using a mixed-method design.

BACKGROUND: Unaddressed impostor feelings that impede developing interest in science and self-efficacy in conducting research have a dispiriting effect that perpetuates unsatisfactory diversity in the health science workforce when such feelings are experienced more by those historically underrepresented in the workforce. This warrants effective interventions to reduce the impact of impostor feelings and related factors that diminish career resilience. We examined the effects of a 90-minute workshop on impostor perceptions and growth mindset to raise awareness of impostor phenomenon (IP) and develop skills to manage IP successfully for students attending a 10-week summer research experience program. METHODS: Using a convergent mixed-methods design, data were analyzed from 51 racially and ethnically diverse students who participated in an interactive IP workshop. Using students' half-way and final progress reports about their summer experiences and pre- and post-summer online surveys, we identified how the workshop changed awareness of IP and helped students develop coping strategies. RESULTS: Students strongly endorsed the workshop, remarking that its content and personal stories from peers validated their own IP experiences and relieved anxiety by revealing how common the experience was. Many reported applying mindset-changing solutions, including positive self-talk, focusing their thinking on facts about themselves and situation, and grounding themselves firmly against potentially persuasive and confidence-eroding impostor feelings. While students reported end-of-summer impostor feelings at levels similar to before the program, they described being able to manage their feelings better and persist towards goals and challenging tasks. One measure of IP appeared to be addressed through students' activation of a growth mindset, potentially explaining a specific mechanism for intervention. Discrepancies between qualitative responses and quantitative IP measures demand additional work on IP instruments. CONCLUSIONS: A brief, theory-based IP workshop administered by research training programs, including those as short as 10-weeks, can have positive impact on subsequent IP experience and its successful management, with potential long-term impact on retention of a diverse biomedical research workforce.

A two-week summer program promoting physical activity: quality of life assessment in Italian children.

Physical activity (PA) can be associated with better health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to assess HRQoL before and after a two-week summer program promoting PA in Italian school-aged children. Participants were recruited during the Giocampus summer2017 (Parma, Italy), from June to July. Before (T0) and after (T1) the program, children and one of their parents answered the Kindl questionnaire. For each domain, least-square mean changes (LSmc) at T1 were derived from linear regression models stratified by responder and adjusted for child gender, age group, time spent in PAs and HRQoL score of the responder at T0. 350 children (7-13 years, 52% males) and 342 parents answered the questionnaire at both T0 and T1. At T1, the HRQoL score of the children significantly improved in the emotional (LSmc 2.9, p<0.001), self-esteem (LSmc 3.3, p<0.001), family (LSmc 4.2, p<0.001) and friend (LSmc 3.1, p<0.001) domains. Parents reported significantly more improvement in self-esteem than children (LSmc 6.7 vs 3.3, p=0.012). Children spending more time in PA reported significantly more improvement in self-esteem than those doing less PA (LSmc 4.4 [p<0.001] vs 2.2 [p=0.181]). A short summer program promoting PA may improve HRQoL in the general population of school-aged children.

Associations between participation in a Physical Activity-Based Positive Youth Development Program and Academic Outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Physical activity-based positive youth development (PYD) programs offer asset building experiences to foster the overall well-being of youth. These programs have the potential to enhance success in other important contexts for children, such as school. However, rigorous examination of this potential impact is needed. METHODS: Propensity score matching was used to compare school outcomes among children who participated in a short, summer physical activity-based PYD program in the USA and children who were from similar backgrounds and from the same school district but did not attend the program. The sample included 149 pairs of students aged 7-12 years (M = 10.11, SD = 1.26) and, in each group, 62% were from ethnically diverse backgrounds, 38% were from primarily Caucasian backgrounds, and 80 were female and 69 were male, and birth years were equally distributed. Ordinal and logistic regression models were used to test for differences between standardized math and language arts test scores, excused and unexcused absences, and total suspensions and expulsions between the two groups. RESULTS: PYD program youth had 55% and 46% greater odds being in the highest math (χ2(1, N = 298) = 4.06, p = .04) and total days attended categories (χ2(1, N = 298) = 5.58, p = .02) respectively. No other significant differences were found. When using a more rigorous quasi-experimental and longitudinal design, participation in a PYD program predicted some but not all academic performance and behaviors. PYD programs may need to be designed to specifically nurture academic skills to consistently impact academic outcomes.

Formative evaluation of a STEAM and nutrition education summer program for low-income youth.

In-depth formative evaluations are vital for curriculum development and program planning but are often not conducted before a program pilots. A formative evaluation of Project stRIde was conducted to gain insight from experts and identify revisions to the curriculum. Project stRIde is a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and nutrition-based curriculum developed for 4th and 5th grade students from low-income and diverse families. Nine experts spanning the fields of nutrition education, cultural competency, elementary education, summer programs, and STEAM outreach were recruited to participate in an expert content review (ECR) survey and virtual interviews. Seven core themes were identified: effectively promoting student engagement, increased guidance or support needed, activity too difficult for age, time, confidence in teaching lessons, cultural appropriateness, and strengths of curriculum in promoting STEAM education and innovation. Across the lessons, all reviewers agreed that the lessons were accurate, incorporated STEAM concepts, and were culturally appropriate for this population. Future major edits to the curriculum include creating supplemental videos, modifying some activities for age level, and incorporating more opportunities for participant engagement. Overall, an ECR is an effective way to examine a program's strengths and limitations and should be included in the beginning stages of program planning.

Effects of a 2-Week Remote Learning Program on Empathy and Clinical and Communication Skills in Premedical Students: Mixed Methods Evaluation Study.

BACKGROUND: Expressing empathy builds trust with patients, increases patient satisfaction, and is associated with better health outcomes. Research shows that expressing empathy to patients improves patient adherence to medications and decreases patient anxiety and the number of malpractice lawsuits. However, there is a dearth of research on teaching empathy to premedical students. The Clinical Science, Technology, and Medicine Summer Internship of Stanford Medicine (also called the Stanford Anesthesia Summer Institute) is a 2-week collaborative medical internship for high school and undergraduate students to inspire learners to be compassionate health care providers. The summer 2020 program was adapted to accomplish these objectives in a fully remote environment because of the COVID-19 global pandemic. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to measure the change in empathy and competencies of participants in clinical and communication skills before and after program participation. METHODS: A total of 41 participants completed only the core track of this program, and 39 participants completed the core + research track of this program. Participants in both tracks received instructions in selected clinical skills and interacted directly with patients to improve their interviewing skills. Research track participants received additional instructions in research methodology. All participants completed web-based pre- and postsurveys containing Knowledge and Skills Assessment (KSA) questions. Participant empathy was assessed using the validated Consultation and Relational Empathy measure. A subset of participants completed optional focus groups to discuss empathy. The pre- and post-KSA and Consultation and Relational Empathy measure scores were compared using paired 2-tailed t tests and a linear regression model. Open-ended focus group answers were then analyzed thematically. RESULTS: Participants in both tracks demonstrated significant improvement in empathy after the 2-week remote learning course (P=.007 in core track; P<.001 in research track). These results remained significant when controlling for gender and age. A lower pretest score was associated with a greater change in empathy. Participants in both tracks demonstrated significant improvement in KSA questions related to surgical skills (P<.001 in core track; P<.001 in research track), epinephrine pen use (P<.001 in core track; P<.001 in research track), x-ray image interpretation (P<.001 in core track; P<.001 in research track), and synthesizing information to solve problems (P<.001 in core track; P=.05 in research track). The core track participants also showed significant improvements in health communication skills (P=.001). Qualitative analysis yielded 3 themes: empathy as action, empathy as a mindset, and empathy in designing health care systems. CONCLUSIONS: Summer internships that introduce high school and undergraduate students to the field of health care through hands-on interaction and patient involvement may be an effective way to develop measurable empathy skills when combined with clinical skills training and mentorship. Notably, increases in empathy were observed in a program administered via a remote learning environment.

Evaluation of an undergraduate neuroscience research program at the university of kentucky.

For the past 12 years the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Kentucky has run an interdisciplinary neuroscience research experience for undergraduates. Over the years the programs funding sources and participant numbers have steadily increased, to a total of 16 undergraduates in the summer of 2003, supported with internal funds, state funds, and a Research Experience for Undergraduates site grant from the National Science Foundation. The goals of the UK summer research program include: 1) provide an interactive environment for faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars where undergraduates from non-tier one research universities are exposed to the many facets of a graduate career, 2) inform undergraduate students of the career opportunities available in the field of neuroscience, 3) increase the numbers of underrepresented minorities, first generation college students and students from non-tier-1 colleges and universities admitted to graduate programs in the biomedical sciences, and 4) immerse undergraduate students in a research project of their own choosing in departmental and non-departmental faculty laboratories that cover a wide range of neuroscience research. Student placement in academic medicine graduate programs, student satisfaction surveys, return students, high numbers of women and minority participants, and an ever-increasing national interest in the program are all indicators of the programs success.