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

Abstract

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.

INTRODUCTION

The lack of diversity among researchers and healthcare professionals is a major contributor to health disparities (1–3). Many healthcare workers do not resemble the patients they serve, which can leave patients feeling excluded (4). Minorities are also less likely to be promoted to full professor positions and receive fewer federal research grants (5). At degree-seeking postsecondary institutions in the United States, 7% of faculty are African American and 6% are Hispanic (6). At the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), only 5.4% of faculty are African American and 2.3% are Hispanic (7). In general, there is a very large gap between minority representation in the general population compared to minority representation in health professions and biomedical and behavioral science careers. The need for a more diverse, culturally competent healthcare and biomedical science workforce is of primary importance in identifying, addressing, and eventually reducing health and healthcare disparities. Diversity in research and the health professions can address health disparities through research dedicated to diseases with a disproportionate impact on racial and ethnic minorities (8, 9). Researchers predict that demographics will dramatically change over the next three to four decades so that there is no clear majority (9, 10). Healthcare leaders must recognize this rapidly approaching change and promote a healthcare workforce that comprises individuals of all races and ethnicities. As racial and ethnic heterogeneity increases, a healthcare workforce that is prepared to care for patients of diverse cultures and life experiences will become critical to the health of the US population.

The National Institutes of Health-funded UAMS Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) was implemented in 2012 to meet the need for increasing diversity in research and health-related careers. This summer program introduces students to careers in cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematologic research through a series of seminars and hands-on laboratory training. SURP participants are recruited from undergraduate institutions across the United States with an emphasis on recruitment at Arkansas undergraduate universities and colleges, especially those in medically underserved areas. Undergraduate students may be from any 2- or 4-yr institution, with special emphasis on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Serving Institutions, and colleges or institutions with large minority student enrollment. Applicants who are members of a URM group as defined by the National Science Foundation (African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Alaska natives, Hawaiian natives, and natives of the US Pacific Islands), persons with physical or mental impairments, or persons from a disadvantaged background are highly encouraged to apply to the program. Undergraduate students with a background in biology, chemistry, mathematics, or physics are also preferred.

The SURP is conducted annually over 9 wk during the summer months since most students take a break from school during the summer. The program application is available online in September and remains open until February of the following year. Eligible participants are students who have completed 1 year of undergraduate coursework at any accredited US institution. Applicants must also be US citizens. The application consists of an online form that asks demographic questions as well as questions regarding career goals and research experience (if any). Applicants must also submit two letters of recommendation and an unofficial college transcript. The program receives an average of 64 applicants each year. All applications are reviewed and approved by the program administration. Applicants are then notified of acceptance to the program; ∼10 to 13 students are accepted each year. Once accepted, the students are hired as temporary employees for the 9-wk summer program and have access to all campus facilities including the research laboratories, library services, and other student services. All students are provided a stipend as well as housing and transportation (if needed) while participating in the 9-wk program.

During the application phase, students have the opportunity to select three possible mentors from a list of faculty researchers who routinely mentor students during the summer. These faculty mentors were handpicked by the program directors to serve as mentors for the program when the grant was written. Only 7.7% of all UAMS faculty are URM; however, the number of URM faculty who were available to participate in the program was <1%. Before the program begins, students are paired with the mentor of their choice (if available). Each mentor receives funds from the program to purchase laboratory supplies needed for the required research project. The program staff communicates with all mentors and mentees (SURP participants) throughout the summer to ensure that students are making progress on required research projects. The SURP highly values mentor-mentee relationships since studies have shown that positive mentor-mentee relationships correlate with student satisfaction with experiences in undergraduate research programs (11, 12).

In addition to mentored research experiences, students participate in activities to stimulate their interest in health-related careers and have the opportunity to develop their leadership skills. Each week, students are required to attend one to three research seminars conducted by UAMS faculty. The seminars are hosted by faculty researchers from various areas of biomedical science and medicine. The students also attend professional development seminars such as developing a curriculum vitae, networking, interviewing, and tips for submitting quality graduate or medical school applications. On the first day of the program, students receive laboratory safety training to prepare them for working in the laboratory. When not attending seminars, the students work closely with their mentor on a summer research project. Students give two presentations throughout the summer. The first presentation is given mid-summer and allows students to share details regarding their summer research project with other program participants and program directors. At the end of the program, students give a final presentation on their summer research project findings. Students are also required to submit a two-page summary of their research project at the end of the summer. Students have an opportunity to develop poster presentations and are encouraged to attend local, state, or national research conferences to present their research project. The program has funds available to support student participation at conferences and assists with poster presentation costs, travel. The Central Arkansas Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium is a state conference that is held each summer on the UAMS campus. Students from all UAMS summer programs and other Arkansas colleges participate in this annual undergraduate research conference. While participation is voluntary, more than half of the summer students are eager to share their summer research and present either a poster or podium presentation at this conference each summer. The UA hosts a state research conference each fall and students are encouraged to participate and to present their summer research projects (INBRE). In addition, students are encouraged to present their research at the national Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) that is held in the fall each year. Several SURP students have participated in this national research conference. The program also provides an opportunity for students to network with students from other summer programs by scheduling seminars and social events (on and off campus) with other UAMS summer program directors.

The program strives to build long-term relationships with the students and allow students to participate in the program more than once. Students may return the next summer to continue working with their mentor in the laboratory to gain additional research experience. Students are encouraged to maintain contact with program directors, mentors, and program staff to provide updates on their educational and career goals. Although the program routinely follows up with students to document program outcomes for annual reports as required by the funding agency, the purpose of this project was to use a follow-up survey to 1) assess program outcomes, and 2) explore ways of improving the program to stimulate URM and disadvantaged students’ interest in research and health-related careers.

METHODS

A survey research design was used to perform the program assessment. An online survey was developed to solicit feedback from all former SURP participants regarding their summer research experience and to get an update on students’ educational and career choices as well as other accomplishments after participating in the program. The online survey was developed using RedCap software and consisted of 37 multiple-choice and short-answer questions. The first few questions were about demographics: age, race, gender, etc. Students also were asked questions regarding their parent’s education, their highest education completed, and questions regarding career goals and achievements. The survey included questions designed to assess mentor-mentee relationships and if the SURP influenced educational and/or career goals. The last section of the survey consisted of short answer questions. In this section, students were asked to provide feedback regarding their summer research experience, program strengths and weaknesses, and recommendations for program improvement.

The online survey was emailed to all former SURP participants (n = 88). All survey responses were anonymous. Since no identifying information was collected, the UAMS Institutional Review Board (IRB) determined that the project was exempt (IRB No. 260812). The survey was opened in May 2020, and data were collected for 6 weeks. Reminders to complete the survey were sent every 2 weeks to encourage participation. At the end of data collection, the data were downloaded to Excel for cleaning and then SPSS statistical software for analysis. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were used when analyzing the quantitative data. The qualitative data were analyzed by identifying major themes.

RESULTS

Responses were received from 39 (44%) of the 88 former program participants (see Table 1). There were responses from students in every program year except 2013. Most survey respondents participated in the program between 2015 and 2019. The majority of the survey respondents were female (n = 33, 85%). These results closely resemble the demographics of the SURP participants since most have also been female (n = 64, 73%). The mean age of the students who responded was 24 and most were African American (n = 25, 64%). In addition, 13 (33%) of the students reported that neither of their parents have completed a college degree and are therefore classified as first-generation college students.

Table 1.

Demographics

Category/Response	n (%)
Program year
2012	3 (7.7)
2013	0
2014	2 (5.1)
2015	6 (15.4)
2016	6 (15.4)
2017	2 (5.1)
2018	7 (17.9)
2019	7 (17.9)
Missing data	6 (15.4)
Total	39 (100.0)
Gender
Female	33 (84.6)
Male	6 (15.4)
Total	39 (100.0)
Race
Black or African American	25 (64.1)
White	4 (10.3)
Hispanic or Latino	5 (12.8)
Asian or Asian American	5 (12.8)
Total	39 (100.0)
Age
19–20	6 (15.4)
21–25	22 (56.4)
26–30	9 (23.1)
31–35	2 (5.1)
Total	39 (100.0)
Highest education
High school diploma*	8 (20.5)
Bachelor’s degree	15 (38.5)
Master’s degree	12 (30.8)
Doctoral degree	4 (10.3)
Total	39 (100.0)
Employment
Full-time	15 (38.5)
Part-time	6 (15.4)
Not employed	18 (46.2)
Total	39 (100.0)
First-generation college student
Yes	13 (33.3)
No	26 (66.7)
Total	39 (100.0)

n = 39. *Currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program.

Student Outcomes

Education.

Most of the students responded that they had received a college degree (n = 31) with half of them reporting that they have obtained a graduate degree (n = 16). The students that have not received at least a college degree (n = 8) are currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program with half (n = 4) responding that they are in their last year of studies. When asked about their plans after completing their undergraduate degree, the responses were as follows: 1) enroll in a PhD program (n = 2); 2) attend medical school (n = 2); and 3) pursue an MD/PhD degree (n = 4). Of those who have completed their bachelor’s degree, 10 students indicated current enrollment in a master’s (n = 2) or doctoral (n = 8) program. See Table 2 for more student outcomes after participating in the SURP.

Table 2.

SURP participant outcomes

Questions/Response	n (%)
Are you currently involved in research?
Yes	11 (28.9)
No	27 (71.1)
Did not answer	1 (2.6)
Total	39 (100.0)
Have you submitted any of the following?
Publications	11 (32.4)
Presentations	10 (29.4)
Grants or research proposals	2 (5.9)
None or N/A	15 (44.1)
Did not answer	1 (2.6)
Total	39 (100.0)
Have you communicated with your mentor since you completed the program?
Yes	24 (70.6)
No	10 (29.4)
Did not answer	5 (12.8)
Total	39 (100.0)
Please rate your interactions with your mentor during the summer.
Excellent	19 (48.7)
Good	8 (20.5)
Average	1 (2.6)
Poor	3 (7.7)
Very poor	3 (7.7)
Did not answer	5 (12.8)
Total	39 (100.0)
Did SURP influence your educational and/or career goals?
Yes	23 (69.7)
No	10 (30.3)
Did not answer	6 (15.4)
Total	39 (100.0)
Would you recommend the SURP to other students?
Yes	33 (84.6)
No	1 (2.6)
Did not answer	5 (12.85)
Total	39 (100.0)
How would you rate your overall summer research experience?
Excellent	20 (51.3)
Good	11 (28.2)
Average	1 (2.6)
Poor	0
Very poor	1 (2.6)
Did not answer	6 (15.4)
Total	39 (100.0)

SURP, Summer Undergraduate Research Program. n = 39.

Research.

To further assess program outcomes and the influence on academic and/or career development, students were asked if they are currently involved in research. Those currently involved in research (n = 11) reported the following research areas: biomedical engineering, infectious diseases/immunology, neuroscience, HIV and global health, radiochemistry, alleviating chemotherapeutic side effects, radiation, immunology, and cancer. Former SURP students (n = 5) also reported that they continued to work on research at UAMS with their mentor after the summer program ended.

Mentor-mentee relationships.

Many of the respondents (n = 24) responded that they had maintained contact with their mentor after the program ended. A request for a letter of recommendation (n = 19) from the mentor was the top reason students had contacted their summer mentor. Some respondents continued to work with their mentor on research in a UAMS laboratory (n = 5), received advice from their mentor on their graduate or medical school application (n = 4), and coauthored publications (n = 3) with their mentor after the summer program ended. Respondents also mentioned that they contacted their former summer mentor for career advice. One former participant responded that their SURP mentor is now a member of their PhD committee. Overall, the responses regarding mentor-mentee relationships were positive and beneficial for students who decided to pursue graduate or medical school.

Career goals.

When asked if the SURP influenced their career goals, 51% of respondents revealed that the SURP influenced their career goals in the following ways: 1) increased their exposure and interest in clinical research; 2) introduced them to other career options in the health care field; 3) increased their interest in graduate school; 4) increased their interest in medical school; and 5) increase their excitement about science and working in a research laboratory (see Table 3). Students also stated that they learned how to improve their medical or graduate school applications. A few mentioned that they are now considering enrolling in graduate or medical school at UAMS. One student mentioned that attending the SURP helped them to be 100% sure about enrolling in graduate school. Overall, most stated that they had a better idea of their career goals after attending the summer program. SURP participants were asked about their goals before and after attending the summer program; 44% (n = 13) stated that their goals either changed or were confirmed after the SURP (see Table 3).

Table 3.

Participants whose goals changed before and after the SURP

Goals before SURP	Goals after SURP
“I was planning on getting an MD degree.”	“I am now thinking about MD/PhD.”
“To pursue a PhD”	“To pursue a PhD in infectious diseases”
“Medical school or dental school”	“I am currently a 3rd year (going on 4th year) dental student.”
“MD”	“I have considered an MD/PhD.”
“Medical school”	“Medical school and a master’s in public health”
“I was considering pursuing graduate school.”	“I was 100% certain that I wanted to attend graduate school.”
“MD/PhD”	“[Physician Assistant Certified] PA-C”
“Doctor”	“Physician Assistant”
“Medical doctor or medical research scientist”	“Public health professional”
“I wanted to get a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics or Molecular Biology.”	“I will be working toward a Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling starting in the fall. However, obtaining a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics or Molecular Biology may still be an option.”
“I wanted to get my M.D.”	“I wanted to become a pharmacist.”
“MD, maybe MD-PHD”	“MD-PHD dual degree training”
“I wanted to be involved in research/medicine.”	“My goal is to complete any courses or training needed to evolve into a medical career.”

SURP, Summer Undergraduate Research Program. n = 13.

Program Assessment

When asked what they liked most about the SURP, several students mentioned that they liked working in the laboratory, enjoyed learning more about research, and established long-term relationships with their mentor or other program participants. Sample verbatim responses to what was liked most about the program are as follows:

1. “The access and opportunity to meet new people in the health care field, research, and the things I learned from working in a lab.”

2. “I really enjoyed the research and interacting with the other participants.”

3. “I really liked the mentor that I was placed with and her lab and team.”

4. “I enjoyed the pairing of the mentors, the amount of time we got to spend in the lab and the opportunity to present at the Central Arkansas Undergraduate Research Symposium, I enjoyed the bonding with the other SURP students and having access to the UAMS facilities (e.g. the library and gym).”

5. “I liked how it wasn’t that big of a group so we each were in our own labs therefore we had more hands-on experience.”

6. “Learning about other opportunities in health care.”

7. “I was able to meet people I otherwise would not have met.”

8. “The opportunity to be at UAMS around cutting edge science and health care, the opportunity to learn in these topic areas, and the opportunity to network and meet faculty willing to support my desire to further learn and feel empathy into science and medicine.”

9. “SURP allowed me to learn more about research in various aspects. I developed close relationships with my peers and mentors that I continue to communicate with.”

10. “The ability to work on a full research project with established researchers/graduate students.”

When asked what they liked least about the SURP, some students mentioned that they would like to have more group activities or social events. A few students stated that they preferred to have more time working with their mentor in the laboratory instead of attending the required seminars. The top three recommendations for improvement were 1) improve mentor-mentee collaborations, 2) include more writing seminars, and 3) explore other seminar topics related to health care. Other recommendations for program improvement were 1) more hands-on seminars, 2) opportunities for shadowing local physicians, 3) continued program contact after the summer, and 4) more clinical experience. One student commented on the “lack of diversity in the research building.” Therefore, it is important to continue to explore ways to increase diversity in research and medicine by offering programs such as the SURP.

DISCUSSION

The UAMS Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) is one of many federally funded summer undergraduate research programs that strives to increase underrepresented and minority (URM) and disadvantaged students’ interest in research and health careers. Summer research programs have positively influenced student interest in research and health careers for many years (13–16). Cain et al. (13) found that their summer research program increased medical students’ interest in research and helped them to better understand research methodology. Monarrez et al. (16) found that mentor-mentee relationships contributed to positive program outcomes and increased undergraduate student interest in biomedical research careers. The Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences examined the influence of undergraduate research on minority students’ desire to pursue science careers and found that most students had a sustained or increased interest in postgraduate studies after a summer research experience (11). Carpi et al. (17) and Ghee et al. (18) also found that undergraduate research experiences increased URM students’ interest and persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

Since many of the students reported ongoing contact with their SURP mentor after the summer program ended and the high value of the mentor-mentee interactions, summer research programs should invest more in improving and promoting strong mentor-mentee relationships. Monarrez et al. (16) assessed the effect of mentor-mentee relationships on undergraduate student research success and found that quality mentor-mentee relationships positively improved students’ ability to develop scientific poster presentations. In addition, students were more likely to pursue biomedical research careers after working closely and establishing long-term professional relationships with their summer research mentor (16). Other undergraduate summer research programs reported that students highly valued the work with their mentor and maintained contact with their mentor after the summer program ended. Findings from other summer undergraduate research programs (14–20) are consistent with our research findings and support the need for promoting quality mentor-mentee relationships to enhance the student’s summer research experience and increase their interest in research or health careers.

While there are several other summer undergraduate research programs at UAMS, this program is distinct because of its diverse student participants, small group educational sessions, and students’ exposure to real-life clinical care through shadowing. To increase URM student interest in graduate and medical school programs, the pipeline must include programs like the SURP, which have shown to be helpful in increasing student interest in research and health-related careers as evidenced in previously published summer program assessments (14–16). Results from this follow-up survey are consistent with previous research in that students participating in the SURP were highly likely to enroll in graduate or postgraduate programs (17–20).

The SURP was recently renewed for another 5 years. Using results from this online survey, the program was modified to include more interactive activities such as mock interviews, an abstract writing workshop, and individualized academic coaching sessions with the UAMS Student Learning Center. These academic coaching sessions are designed to provide students with information on time management, preparing for tests, improving study skills, and setting academic goals. The Demystifying the Application Process seminar will provide information on 1) writing a personal statement, 2) requesting letters of recommendation, 3) meeting application deadlines, 4) preparing for interviews, and 5) other important tips for submitting a quality medical or graduate school application. Finally, feedback from this survey led to the development of an interactive undergraduate mentor-mentee workshop. In this workshop, SURP faculty from targeted institutions will be invited to a half-day session in which undergraduate mentors will be updated on the status of the SURP program and students from their institutions. Undergraduate mentors will meet with program staff and have an opportunity to network with SURP participants. The SURP will continue to explore ways to promote strong mentor-mentee collaborations since this was helpful for building long-term professional relationships and stimulating URM interest in research and health-related careers as indicated in the survey results. The program also plans to develop a SURP alumni seminar where former participants are invited to present to the students. Currently, seminar speakers are typically UAMS faculty which leaves a small pool of URM faculty to choose from. Inviting former SURP participants as speakers will increase the availability of URM faculty available as seminar speakers. In conclusion, to promote diversity in research and health-related careers, programs that expose URM and disadvantaged students to research and health professions are key to our ongoing efforts to improve individual and population health, move closer to health equity, and reduce the health and health care disparities gap.

GRANTS

R. E. McGehee, Jr. and B. Thomas are supported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Grant R25HL108825.

DISCLOSURES

No conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, are declared by the authors.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS

L.P. conceived and designed research; L.P. analyzed data; L.P. interpreted results of experiments; L.Y.P. prepared figures; L.P., T.W., A.A., R.E.M., and B.T. drafted manuscript; L.P., T.W., A.R.A., R.E.M., and B.T. edited and revised manuscript; L.P., T.W., A.A., R.E.M., and B.T. approved final version of manuscript.