Leadership

Issue

As a current undergraduate pre-medical student, it has been challenging to determine which major will best suit my pathway. Should I major in biology, chemistry, exercise science, public health, cardiovascular technology, etc.? Myself and others included have struggled to determine where to start and how to successfully complete core science classes required by most medical schools. As students continue into their undergraduate studies, they face questions like "Am I on the right track to medical school?" or "Am I even taking the right classes?" Most schools have a pre-professional office that guides students towards a pre-med, pre-health, or pre-law track with useful information and opportunities that will help their application. As this is a good resource for students to gain experience in their field, a student's success can be limited. One friend and fellow pre-medical student stated, "Having a major that is comprised of medical school prerequisites and other classes that enhance our knowledge about different aspects of health would put me more at ease for my pre-medical journey."

From personal experience and from comments of fellow pre-medical students, I think it is beneficial for universities to create and implement a specific pre-medical major that focuses on prerequisite science classes with integrated clinical experience. As mentioned in my key insight, achieving current and immediate goals will further help a person advance in their long term goals. If students have a successful undergraduate career, the confidence that they gain will hopefully feed into their progress in medical school. With a major dedicated solely on medical school requirements, students will feel encouraged that they work they are doing is aiding in their entrance into medical school.

Implementation

The first step is to organize a group of current pre-medical students who are interested in helping to create a pre-medical major at the university. A clear and concise mission statement will help guide and motivate out decisions. This step is particularly important to make sure each person understands the goal of our initiative and will continue to make decisions that ensure its success. Another important step is to present the idea to the pre-professional office or a faculty member of the university, perhaps one that works closely with health practices. It would also be beneficial to speak to an advisor that is familiar with the health field to ensure that our plan contains the right information. Working in a team will encourage myself and others to adapt to the varying opinions and viewpoints that may arise. The ability to compromise is essential for the group to agree on the choices being made.

In the development of the major, the team involved would discuss various classes that are mandatory, such as General Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics. There would also be a discussion regarding electives, where students will have the freedom to take classes that are of interest to them. Asking certain professors what classes they recommend will also be of great help when formulating the curriculum. It is important to make sure the required classes reflect what medical school admissions offices would like to see.

Aside from science classes, it would advantageous for students to have clinical experience that is built into their major. This provides them with hands-on experience, as it can be difficult for students to find opportunities outside the classroom. To implement this part of the curriculum, members of the team will approach medical offices and present a potential partnership that allows students to shadow doctors and physicians. Offices with various specialities would be the best option so students can be exposed to different fields. Students will spend a set time limit each week dedicated to working in the medical office. To test them on their experience, they will be required to write reflection papers that focus on science background knowledge as well as personable and professional skills that they observed.

Suggested Timeline

To put this plan into action, the relative dates of certain measures should be completed to finalize the program proposal.

Early August 2019
- Send list-serve email to all science majors, include survey that measure their satisfaction with their current major and their thoughts on a new pre-medical major
Late August 2019
- Recruit undergraduate students interested in planning this new major program
- Marketing strategies: send out emails, hang up posters, and hand out flyers to students
September 2019
- Finalize group of students for committee
- Approach pre-professional office to present plan of action and determine faculty member who will oversee program
- Divide team into various boards such as Marketing, Public Relations, Medical Relations, Course Planning, etc.
October 2019
- Begin weekly committee meetings to discuss goals and further necessary steps
Early November 2019
- Network with local medical offices willing to partner with committee to offer weekly clinical hours
Spring 2019
- Hold weekly meetings to deliberate progress of proposal, ensure that all components are being completed
- Devise a concise plan with medical offices
End of Spring 2019
- Present program proposal to College of Arts of Sciences for review and approval

Proposal Presentation

After careful consideration of all components necessary for a new major, our

plan will be presented to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The involved

faculty members would need to complete and submit a Program Pre-Authorization

Request for the Office of the Provost to review. From here, the degree program will be

sent to The Academic Program Proposal System for approval. The department of

Sciences will then submit a completed CHE New Program Proposal Form to the Office

of Academic Programs. Next, the proposal will be reviewed by the Faculty Senate,

followed by the Board of Trustees. After approval from all levels of the university, the

program proposal will need to be approved by the Commission of Higher Education (CHE) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Required approvals may take up to 2 years for full review and completion. The final assignment of a major code from the University Registrar will be marketed after all approvals have been sent to and received by the Provost's Office.

Future Semesters

After final approval and recognition of a new major, the next steps are out of my direct influence. I have hope that the next step is to advertise the option of a new major for students interested in medical school and are looking for a direct path that is geared towards admission. A mass email sent to the entire directory of the university is a good start for exposure. Another idea is to create flyers to be posted in academic buildings around the campus. Committee members will schedule talks with student organizations to help transmit information. Interest meetings for students who have questions and concerns about the nature of the major will also be held.

In the next round of class registration, interested students will be able to declare this new pre-medical major and register for classes based on our predicted outline. As the semester progresses, students are tested on their science knowledge with scheduled content exams. As mentioned above, they will write reflection papers about their clinical hours. Specific points and reflection of its significance should be recognized.

Evaluation

At the end of each semester, students with this pre-medical major will be sent a mandatory questionnaire that surveys their feelings about the nature of this major and how it has or has not benefitted them towards their entrance into medical school. Once students approach graduation and potentially have been accepted into medical school, one final evaluation will be sent to measure the level of success of this new major. It was contain questions about the effectiveness of the major in relation to the professors, the courses, clinical hours, other related opportunities, and how much it has prepared them for medical school. After completion of the evaluation, statistical analysis can be conducted to measure the amount of student satisfaction. In the following years, the success rate of the major can be determined based on the percentage of students who are admitted into medical school following undergrad. With this proposal, I hope to aid current students in their success as future physicians. I have hopes that the introduction to a pre-medical major will be accepted by universities nationwide and students will feel more at ease with their decision to become doctors.

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