Understanding the Needs of Undergraduate Student Athletes as they Apply to Health Professional School

Introduction: Many attributes student athletes gain from their sport are skills that prepare them to be excellent medical students and physicians. However, long practices, travel, and fitness training limit student athletes’ opportunities to engage in extracurricular activities deemed important to be a strong applicant. This study assesses the current state of mentoring and application preparedness to better support the needs of student athletes. Methods: Our study population consisted of University of Michigan student athletes (age≥18) and medical students at the University of Michigan Medical School self-identified as former collegiate student athletes. We deployed two anonymous surveys with multiple choice and free response questions to assess unmet needs of current and former student athletes. Results: 61 student athletes responded to the student athlete survey. 37% (19/52) self-identified as underrepresented in medicine. Only 52% (28/54) of respondents agreed they had a comprehensive understanding of activities to become involved in to be a competitive applicant. The most prominent theme identified was desire for more information on application timeline and requirements. There were 48 responses to the medical student survey. 22% (9/41) respondents reported utilizing their athletic department’s pre-health advising program and 51% (21/41) reported no program available at their institution. Time management was the most prominent theme represented for unique challenges faced. Conclusions: Student athletes face unique challenges finding opportunities that fit demanding schedules. Dedicated pre-health mentoring and advising is needed to help student athletes succeed in pursuing graduate health programs. Implementation of targeted peer mentoring programs can help provide schedule-tailored resources, as well as serve as a means to increase diversity in medicine.