Table 4.
Descriptive Statistics for Perceived Achievability and Desirability of an Academic Careera
| Group | Subgroup | No. of PhD students | Mean score (SD), 2012 | Mean score (SD), 2013 | Change in score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievability | |||||
| Academy | Female | 23 | 5.78 (2.26) | 6.43 (2.27) | +0.65 |
| Male | 13 | 5.69 (2.46) | 6.31 (2.25) | +0.62 | |
| URM | 18 | 6.17 (2.23) | 7.06 (2.18) | +0.89 | |
| Non-URM | 18 | 5.33 (2.35) | 5.72 (2.14) | +0.39 | |
| Total | 36 | 5.75 (2.30) | 6.39 (2.23) | +0.64 | |
| Control | Female | 21 | 7.10 (2.36) | 6.48 (2.82) | −0.62 |
| Male | 15 | 5.87 (2.17) | 4.87 (2.72) | −1.00 | |
| URM | 9 | 7.00 (2.65) | 6.33 (3.08) | −0.67 | |
| Non-URM | 27 | 6.44 (2.31) | 6.05 (2.28) | −0.39 | |
| Total | 36 | 6.58 (2.34) | 5.81 (2.86) | −0.77 | |
| Desirability | |||||
| Academy | Female | 23 | 7.17 (1.47) | 6.61 (2.43) | −0.56 |
| Male | 13 | 6.69 (2.13) | 5.92 (2.41) | −0.77 | |
| URM | 18 | 7.17 (1.82) | 6.67 (2.57) | −0.50 | |
| Non-URM | 18 | 6.83 (1.65) | 6.06 (2.28) | −0.77 | |
| Total | 36 | 7.00 (1.72) | 6.36 (2.42) | −0.64 | |
| Control | Female | 21 | 7.24 (2.57) | 6.38 (2.67) | −0.86 |
| Male | 15 | 8.60 (0.83) | 5.40 (2.16) | −3.20 | |
| URM | 9 | 6.89 (2.76) | 6.33 (3.04) | −0.56 | |
| Non-URM | 27 | 8.15 (1.68) | 5.85 (2.33) | −2.30 | |
| Total | 36 | 7.83 (2.04) | 5.97 (2.49) | −1.86 | |
Abbreviations: URM indicates groups traditionally underrepresented in medicine and biomedical sciences (e.g., African American, Hispanic, Native American).
a
In the Academy, PhD students in the biomedical sciences received a “career coaching” intervention in which students took part in professional development discussions and activities geared towards successfully navigating graduate school and future scientific careers.15 Control students received no intervention.