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Study shows Canadian summer program attracts students to rheumatology
Amid a shortage of rheumatologists in Canada, the Canadian Rheumatology Association reported its summer program has successfully attracted new students to the field of rheumatology, according to research presented at the Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Meeting.
The summer student research program has been conducted by the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) for 6 years, with past sponsorships by AbbVie (Abbott), Roche and Merck. Twenty clinical and 13 research students are typically enrolled each year, with a total of 283 students in the program since 2004. Janet Pope, MD, and colleagues conducted a survey of past students to assess student attitudes and satisfaction with the program.
Janet Pope
Of 159 eligible students, 12 (7.5%) became rheumatologists and four are applying to rheumatology programs, according to results of the survey.
Student satisfaction with the program was high, with 88% of the CRA-Roche research students and 84% of the clinical students expressing a strong desire to become a rheumatologist. Of recent CRA-AbbVie students, all 199 said the program was a valuable experience, and 18 of 19 said they would recommend it to other medical students.
Most of the students also said their mentors had a strong influence on their career decisions in the future, according to the researchers. - by Shirley Pulawski
Reference:
Pope J, et al. Paper #98. Presented at: Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Meeting. Feb. 4-7, 2015; Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.