Establish a program for medical students to explore neurology.

There is a need to attract more trainees to neurology to meet a growing clinical demand. Creating opportunities for medical students to explore a career in neurology likely plays an important role in this process. A structured program fostering such opportunities may increase interest in neurology and allow students to more deeply consider a neurology career.

We established the “Neurology Pipeline Program” at Thomas Jefferson University. Students are informed of the program at inflection points through medical school (matriculation, pre-clinical Neuroscience course, and the Neurology Clerkship), though they may join at any time.

The program facilitates mentorship from faculty that is commensurate to their stage in training, shadowing, and research opportunities.

We tracked data on program participation (e.g. how students became aware of the program, shadowing events, mentorship meetings). Additionally, the program’s faculty directors conducted 35 semi-structured interviews of participants upon entry to the program and before graduation. We performed qualitative inductive analysis on the impact of the program, including its influence on decisions regarding a neurology career.

Students scheduled >50 shadowing events in the academic year. 16 students are applying to neurology for the 2021 Match versus a mean of 8.25 in the five years previous. Qualitative analysis shows students’ relationships with faculty mentors are formative in their decisions to pursue a neurology career. Positive relationships with residents and non-mentoring faculty are also reported as valuable. 

We established a pipeline program for medical students offering clinical and scholarly exposure to neurology and career mentorship. Early quantitative data suggests a positive impact on neurology residency applications but longitudinal data is needed. Ongoing structured data collection and analysis of student participation, with qualitative analysis exploring the themes surrounding student relations with program faculty might help identify areas for program optimization.