Graduate students’ needs resemble and at times surpass those of undergraduate students. However, support services for those seeking advanced degrees are often limited in both breadth and depth. Indeed, most service and related research studies are specific to the undergraduate experience; the literature specifying how support is framed and utilized in graduate programs is not as common.

Case management is a widely implemented and successful model of support in undergraduate programs. Higher education in the United States now has a grassroots coalition of student affairs advocacy professionals: licensed clinical social workers and other student affairs administrators who perform case management functions (Adams, Hazelwood & Hayden, 2014). Very little research or data is available on case management or student support in graduate and post-graduate programs. A small literature does identify a gap in service, and articulates a need for enhanced graduate student support in order for students to successfully progress through their programs. This paper attempts to initiate closing this gap in discussing the use of a case management framework in graduate education. The model presented is specific to a school of public health where the mission of the school and the training of its students are to improve population health. Using the school’s mission and the case management framework that has had success in other arenas, the expectation is for this model to be considered a method of providing support to graduate students.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe distress and personality characteristics of nursing /non-nursing students; identify how demands of college affects mental health; whether program requirements affect students differently; and if distressed students would participate in a support program.

Background and Significance: Psychological distress in college students is well documented (Griggs, 2017). This can lead to depression, anxiety/panic disorders, and social/relationship problems (Univ. of Alberta, n.d.). Stress/anxiety/ depression are 5 top threats to students’ academic performance /completion (American College Health Association, 2016) while students report underutilizing counseling on campus (Eisenberg, Golberstein, & Gollust, 2007). Nursing students are vulnerable due to pressure to meet/sustain grade and clinical requirements to remain in good academic standing. Personality characteristics are studied in health professions, but not in nursing (Eley, 2012).

Methods: Descriptive, longitudinal design with comparison group to provide a baseline, over two academic semesters.

Analysis: 149 surveys. Symptom checklist ≥ 60 are considered clinically elevated. Nursing students: 59% had clinically elevated SCL-90 scales. 53% of nursing students had clinically elevated Global Severity Index scales.

Results: Preliminary results indicate significant numbers of students experienced distress. Nursing students were no more distressed than non-nursing students (t=-.099 (df 147), p=ns). Individuals were offered support services.

Conclusions and Implications: Results indicate a significantly higher level of distress among students than in the literature. Given the nursing profession’s need to educate/graduate competent nurses, it is imperative to identify nursing students in distress and develop interventions that are amendable to nursing students. Students should have the option to complete a distress screening and be offered support services.

Introduction:

Health career pipeline programs address existing educational gaps between demographic groups and diminish health inequities through workforce development. The CHAMPIONS NETWork, a community-academic-hospital partnership, empowers participants to become community health advocates; exposes them to health career pathways; and addresses health disparities through social networks.

Objective:

To describe the CHAMPIONS curriculum, school-year programming, and health career exposure activities for urban high school students.

Methods:

This descriptive study outlines a curriculum implemented at a university-based after-school program and a structured in-school program, the Science and Health Immersion Program (SHIP). CHAMPIONS partners with seven high schools located in primarily low-income Chicago neighborhoods. Both programs are implemented by a team of pre-health and health professional students.

Results:

Over 70 weekly After-School Club sessions have been implemented since fall 2016, serving 85 participants. A total of six SHIP series have been implemented since spring 2017 at three partner schools, serving 100 participants. Our curriculum covers four tracks: health career exposure, professional skills development, public health, and college readiness. Curriculum development and implementation is grounded on Freire’s “Dialogical Education” theoretical framework. “Dialogical Education” encourages circular knowledge flow between teacher and student. CHAMPIONS applies this framework at three levels: programmatic structure, curriculum, and information delivery.

Next Steps:

The CHAMPIONS model is replicable at other academic-hospitals aiming to diversify their workforce. Evaluations of such school-year programs will be vital in identifying best practices for reducing the shortage of underrepresented minorities in health professions.

The future oral health workforce must be equipped with the knowledge and experience to improve access and outcomes for underserved populations. The gap in oral health disparities continues to grow, while diversity amongst dental health professionals remains relatively stagnant. In a 2016 survey from the American Dental Education Association, only 15.2% of dental school applicants were from underrepresented minority (URM) backgrounds. Recognizing the importance of diversity in improving access to care, the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at New York University College of Dentistry with funding from a HRSA Predoctoral training grant established the “Bringing Smiles Dental Enrichment Program” (BSDEP).

BSDEP supports and prepares students who are underrepresented in the dental profession for successful application and matriculation into dental school. Interns participate in the Bringing Smiles to NYC Schools comprehensive school-based dental program. Interns assist with daily operations of the program while gaining public health skills, mentorship opportunities, and experiences that help bolster their dental school application.

In year one, nine students participated. Of those who applied this cycle, 100% were accepted to dental school. All interns reported that their experience better prepared them for dental school applications and interviews, and reported that they plan to work in an underserved population in their future career.

BSDEP is a unique model for engaging and training youth to be better prepared to work in dental public health. There is a need for more pipeline programs that recruit and retain URM students as they pursue careers in medicine, public health and dentistry.