NEWSBITES Premed Students Don’t Really Care That Much About Science, New Study Finds Researchers examine what influences students to participate in research Premed students are less interested in science and care more about helping people, according to a study published in the journal CBE-Life Sciences Education.
The study, conducted by Lara Brongo Pacifici, from the Department of Biology and Physics at Kennesaw State University and Norman Thomson, from the Department of Mathematics and Science Education at the University of Georgia, examined possible differences between premed and non-premed students in their influences to do research and expectations of research. To reach their conclusion, the two researchers analyzed questionnaire responses from 55 premed students and 80 non-premed students. The results revealed that while both premeds and non-premeds expected to gain the same from their experience with participating in undergraduate research, attitudes toward science and intrinsic motivation to learn more about science were significantly higher for non-premed students. "Premed students, while not motivated to learn more about science, were motivated to help people, which is why most of them are pursing medicine," the authors explained. "They viewed research as a way to help them become doctors and to rule out the possibility of research as a career." The researchers found that non-premed students participated in research to learn more about a specific science topic and gain experience that may be helpful in graduate school. Based on their
findings, the study authors suggest that undergraduate research opportunities may want to tailor their programs to best suit students with different future goals. The results of this study lend a bit of truth to the notion that many premed students only participate in research projects and assignments, most during summer sessions, because it will “look good” on their medical school application. While this may be the case for some, there are certainly many premed students who actually like the science behind the research and genuinely want to participate in a scientific research project. Could the reason behind the dislike be due to the difficulty of advanced science courses premed students may take during their undergraduate years? Only you really know what your motivation is to become a doctor. And whether its to care for people or your love of science it’s important that you’re doing it for the right reasons. If you are a premed student who doesn’t actually like science per se and you get accepted into medical school, prepare yourself for a lifelong sentence of misery because science will become an everyday part of your life. Science isn’t all that bad, is it?
Medical School Teaches Students Lessons on Poverty Through a program call Just Neighbors, first year students at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Medical School will be exposed to a working understanding of poverty and the physical and emotional toll it takes. Just Neighbors, which is categorized as poverty awareness curriculum, is part of the service learning component for the school's first year medical students. The program is an interactive, multi-media curriculum that is designed to challenge the many myths about poverty. "The Just Neighbors curriculum will help our VCU medical students to develop a deep understanding of the complex nature of poverty and the impact that poverty has had on many of the patients they will serve during their medical education here in Richmond, Virginia", said Lynn Pelco, VCU Service Learning Director. "Through the Just Neighbors curriculum and their service-learning experiences, our first-year medical students will have multiple opportunities to reflect on the lives of patients who
8 | PreMedLife Magazine | July/August 2011
have experienced poverty and on their own development as empathic and effective physicians." VCU Medical School Director of Curriculum, Lelia Brinegar said, “Just Neighbors provides the structure we need to provide opportunities for our students to reflect on what they are seeing.” According to the press release announcing the program, the Just Neighbors sessions will be supplemented with presentations by members of the local community familiar with the problems of poverty in Richmond. Programs like this, and others across the country are making a huge difference in the communities they serve. Initiatives like the Just Neighbors program gives future doctors the opportunity to make a life-changing difference in the lives of the patients they serve. As more and more students are choosing to practice primary-care medicine, it is important that they are familiar with dealing with patients from many different walks of life and Just Neighbors is giving students the exposure they need.