MEDTalks: a student-driven program to enhance undergraduate student understanding and interest in medical schools in Canada

Abstract

Given the lack of programs geared towards educating undergraduate students about medical school, the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a medical student–driven initiative program, MEDTalks, enhanced undergraduate students’ understanding of medical school in Canada and stimulated their interest in pursuing medicine. The MEDTalks program, which ran between January and April 2018 at the University of Ottawa, consisted of 5 teaching sessions, each including large-group lectures, small-group case-based learning, physical skills tutorials, and anatomy lab demonstrations, to mimic the typical medical school curriculum. At the end of the program, undergraduate student learners were invited to complete a feedback questionnaire. Twenty-nine participants provided feedback, of whom 25 reported that MEDTalks allowed them to gain exposure to the University of Ottawa medical program; 27 said that it gave them a greater understanding of the teaching structure; and 25 responded that it increased their interest in attending medical school. The MEDTalks program successfully developed a greater understanding of medical school and helped stimulate interest in pursuing medical studies among undergraduate students.