A review of recruitment and retention programs for minority and disadvantaged students in health professions education

Abstract

Since the late 1960s, allied health educators have been providing special activities designed to recruit and graduate minority and disadvantaged students. Summer enrichment, prematriculation, and a variety of other student support programs have been used to benefit students, institutions, and society. Colleges of allied health are becoming increasingly concerned with recruiting and retaining all students. Fortunately, lessons learned from these special programs can be used to ensure the enrollment of capable learners and the graduation of competent allied health professionals. To accomplish this, student recruitment and retention must be viewed as a process of interrelated activities. Faculty, students, and administrators must be involved in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs to ensure that the components of the recruitment and retention process are meeting the needs of the learner and the institution. This article provides a historical perspective of these activities and suggests means by which process components could be made more effective.