Continuous Rural High School Educational Outreach and Lasting Impact on Health Care Career Attitudes: Qualitative Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Rural communities face persistent challenges in recruiting and retaining health care professionals. Research has shown that individuals from rural backgrounds are more likely to return to practice in these areas, yet most existing pipeline programs focus on undergraduate and medical students rather than high school students. Early exposure to health care careers is essential, as many students have already selected their career paths by the time they enter college. A previous study conducted in 2020 analyzed the effects of a single educational workshop at a rural high school in New Hampshire. The results suggested that students had a better understanding of the health care field.

Objective: This study evaluates the impact of an ongoing educational outreach program designed to introduce rural high school students to diverse health care professions.

Methods: This study was conducted at West Grand High School, a rural high school in Kremmling, Colorado, between September and December 2023. The intervention consisted of 4 monthly sessions, each focusing on a different medical specialty-primary care, sports medicine, dermatology, and neurology. These sessions, led by second-year medical students, provided an overview of common conditions, treatment approaches, and various health care roles involved in patient care. Participants completed pre- and postsession surveys assessing their interest in health care careers, perceived barriers, and likelihood of returning to their rural hometown to practice. A follow-up survey was conducted 4 months after the final session to assess long-term impact.

Results: While individual session surveys showed no significant changes, overall interest in and likelihood of pursuing a health care career increased significantly over the course of the presentation series (P=.03 and P=.04, respectively). However, there was no significant change in students' likelihood of returning to their rural hometowns to practice or their perceived access to resources for a health care career. Financial constraints (43/66, 65%) were identified as the most significant barrier, followed by lack of exposure (19/66, 29%) and support (17/66, 26%), while interest and education were least likely perceived as obstacles.

Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of early and sustained outreach efforts in rural communities to increase awareness of diverse health care career pathways. While short-term educational interventions can positively influence career interest, long-term mentorship and structured support systems are essential for fostering a sustained commitment to rural health care careers. Future initiatives should integrate financial counseling, ongoing mentorship, and collaborations with existing rural pipeline programs to enhance the effectiveness of such interventions.

Keywords: career pathways; education; health disparities; healthcare workforce; high school students; rural health.

Figure 1.. Representation of student responses over the 4 months of presentations: September (n=10), October (n=7), November (n=8), December (n=8). A self-reported Likert scale was used, with 5 being “strongly agree” and 1 being “strongly disagree.”