1809 - Early Engagement in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: The Role of High School Workshops and Pipeline Initiatives, A Cross-sectional Survey

Women and racial minorities remain underrepresented in medicine, with even greater disparities in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). Limited awareness of smaller specialties like PM&R contributes to this gap. Workshops are a form of early exposure that have shown promise in addressing underrepresentation. Our study surveyed high school students to identify which workshop elements they find most engaging and what barriers limit participation, with the goal of refining workshop programming and developing a scalable model to increase exposure in PM&R. 

Design:

A pilot anonymous survey was administered to high school students through Qualtrics from Nov. to Dec. 2024 to gauge student interest in workshop designs. This survey gathered demographics, specialty interests, barriers, and strategies to increase PM&R awareness. Recruitment included general students via social media and regional pre-health organizations, totalling 159 responses.

Results: Of 159 students, 73% were female, 33% URiM, and 31% first-generation college-bound. Interest in PM&R was low (9.4%, 34th of 48 specialties), particularly among URiM (4.3%), females (5.7%), and first-gen students (7.1%). Students endorsed mentorship (92.8%), hands-on activities (86.2%), and case studies (72.5%). They desired long-term mentorship ( >6 months) with opportunities for research (90.6%) and shadowing (86.0%); 69% valued mentors with similar backgrounds. Students favored topics such as cancer recovery (73.2%), traumatic brain injury (65%), pain management (44.2%), and suggested collaborations with neurology and neurosurgery. Top barriers were scheduling conflicts (61%), financial limitations (54%), and transportation challenges (38%); students suggested hybrid format (45%) to improve accessibility. 


Conclusions:

This study highlights challenges and opportunities in fostering interest in PM&R among high schoolers. Addressing barriers and integrating hands-on, mentorship-focused, and interdisciplinary collaboration can strengthen workshop design and guide early exposure programs. Future research should explore its long-term impact on career trajectories.