Examining the First Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program (F1Doctors) for International Medical Students

Abstract

In this study, we report international medical students in the United States and conduct an analysis of the first, peer-to-peer, national mentorship program for international medical students and international pre-med applicants in the US (F1Doctors). We used analyzed survey data collected through F1Doctors and the Association of American Medical Colleges yearly matriculation reports. Results indicated that the average college grade point average (GPA) and Medical College Admission Test score (MCAT) of international applicants was higher than that of all applicants. Additionally, non-US applicants reported facing numerous unique challenges such as limited access to extracurricular opportunities and difficulty finding mentors who are familiar with the application process. International applicants have the potential to increase the diversity of healthcare professionals, and F1Doctors is the first platform to support international healthcare applicants in the US.

Keywords: F1Doctors; GPA; International applicants; MCAT; challenges; health professional school; medical school.

Figure 1

Comparison of 2020–2021 applicants’ and matriculants’ GPA (A) and MCAT averages (B-F). Note. Graphs show Mean ± SD. *p<0.05, **p<0.005, ***p<0.0005, ****p<0.0001 based on One-Way Anova with Turkey’s ad hoc multiple comparisons test. The non-U.S Citizen and Non-Permanent Resident column from AAMC’s ‘Table A-18: MCAT Scores and GPAs for Applicants and Matriculants to U.S. Medical Schools by Race/Ethnicity’ was utilized for international applicant and matriculants data. The 2020–2021 Column from AAMC’s ‘Table A-16: MCAT Scores and GPAs for Applicants and Matriculants to U.S. Medical Schools’ was utilized for all applicants and matriculants data. *Note: The F1Doctors mentors did not matriculate in the 2020–2021 academic year. They served as mentors for the applicants applying in the 2020–2021 cycle and thus were included in the analysis to gauge the academic scores of the mentors in comparison to all and international matriculants of this year.

Figure 2

The academic scores of international medical applicants and matriculants over time Note: Graphs Show Mean ± SEM;. *p<0.05, **p<0.005, ***p<0.0005, ****p<0.0001 based on Two-Way Anova with Turkey’s ad hoc multiple comparisons test. The ‘Non-US Citizen of Permanent Resident’ rows from AAMC’s Table’s A-16 to A-19: MCAT Scores and GPAs for Applicants and Matriculants to U.S. Medical Schools by Race/Ethnicity’ was utilized for MCAT and GPA scores.

Figure 3.

The landscape of international medical applicants and matriculants over time Note: The ‘Non-US Citizen of Permanent Resident’ row from AAMC’s Table 12: Applicants, First-Time Applicants, Accepted students, and Matriculants to U.S. Medical Schools by Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, Non-Hispanic or Latino Race, and Sex’, ‘Table A-8: Applicants to U.S. Medical Schools by Selected Combinations of Race/Ethnicity and Sex’, ‘Table A-9: Matriculants to U.S. Medical Schools by Selected Combinations of Race/Ethnicity and Sex’ was utilized for international applicant and matriculants data.

Figure 4

Characteristics and outcomes from F1Doctors mentees that applied to medical schools in the 2020–2021 application cycle Note: N=10 for all graphs. Figures A-E show responses to the year in review survey.

Figure 5

Factors that correlated with the number of acceptances that F1Doctors mentees received in the 2020–2021 application cycle. Note: Graphs show best fit lines with 95% confidence intervals. R² and p-values based on simple linear regression analysis.

Figure 6

Self-reported challenges faced by F1Doctors Mentees in the 2020–2021 Application cycle and factors that F1 Doctors platform and/or its mentors were reported to have helped with. Note: N=10 for all challenges faced, N=6 for Helped by F1Doctors.