Submission Type
Innovation Highlight
Abstract
Problem: Rural communities throughout the United States face persistent challenges with health care workforce shortages, contributing to disparities in health care access for rural populations. Programs that introduce high school students to the medical field early are pivotal in decreasing barriers to entering the field. Individuals who grow up in rural areas are more likely to return to those areas to practice medicine. Thus, expanding access to these programs for high school students in rural communities can strengthen the future health care workforce in these communities. Yet, such opportunities remain limited.
Approach: Inside Medicine, a longitudinal virtual program for high school students, provides an accessible environment in which high school students can find mentorship and gain early exposure to health care careers. Inside Medicine is held via Zoom to minimize geographic and financial barriers. The program connects high school students with medical student mentors in small groups focused on medical mystery cases, career exploration, and leadership development.
Outcomes: Inside Medicine has experienced substantial growth in membership, from 34 high school students representing 4 schools in 2020 to 250 students representing 60 schools in the 2024–2025 academic year. The rapid growth of Inside Medicine demonstrates the significant gap that was present in health care career exploration opportunities for high school students in a predominantly rural state. The free and accessible nature of Inside Medicine's programming likely supported its rapid growth.
Next Steps: Inside Medicine continues to develop novel programming and opportunities for students to engage with various medical careers through live simulations, new case-based discussions, and shadowing opportunities. Further evaluation of the program's ability to achieve its stated mission, beyond overall program growth, is also warranted given its initial success. Also, Inside Medicine's model of virtual high school engagement could be reproduced in other rural communities, with the potential to encourage high school students to pursue health care careers in rural areas.
Recommended Citation
Martens, Sophia; Agrodnia, Sean; and Hourihan, Maribeth
(2026)
"A Statewide Virtual Program to Increase Health Care Career Exploration Among High School Students in Rural Communities,"
Journal of Maine Medical Center: Vol. 8
:
Iss.
2
, Article 10.
Available at:
https://doi.org/10.46804/2641-2225.1268
