Apprenticeship Program : Promoting Careers in Biomedical Sciences and the Health Professions for Minority

This study examined the career decisions of 54 high school students who participated in the Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) at Ohio State University during 1990-92. RAP is a precollege program which aims to provide meaningful experiences in various aspects of health-related research for minority high school students and teachers. RAP activities are centered on the assignment of students to faculty preceptors/mentors during eight weeks in the summer. Participants work as full-time apprentices and participate in various career development activities, including maintaining a written record of their experience, conducting a research project in their assigned health area, and participating in a science fair. Data on 54 former participants were collected concerning the precollege program experience, student background characteristics, and individual factors (such as academic ability, personality, and motivation) . Of the respondents, 37 (68 percent) had chosen to pursue a health profession immediately following high school, and 17 percent (32 percent) had decided not to pursue a health professional immediately following high school. Analysis indicated that personality, cognitive, and motivational factors, along with family characteristics, experiential learning, socioeconomic status, and the RAP program had a significant impact on the career decision-making process of these students. (Contains 33 references.) (DB) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** RUNNING HEAD: Research Apprenticeship Program The Research Apprenticeship Program: Promoting Careers in Biomedical Sciences and the Health Professions for Minority Populations Presented at The AERA: American Educational Research Association's Annual Meeting, April, 1999, Montreal Canada Session 6.55: Cognitive Aspects of Career Development