The Social Mission in Medical School Mission Statements: Associations with Graduate Outcomes

10 Pages Posted: 15 Nov 2015 Last revised: 17 Dec 2015

See all articles by Christopher P. Morley

Christopher P. Morley

SUNY Upstate Medical University, Department of Family Medicine

Emily Mader

Department of Family Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University

Timothy Smilnak

State University of New York (SUNY) - SUNY Upstate Medical University

Andrew Bazemore

University of Cincinnati - College of Medicine

Stephen Petterson

Robert Graham Center

José Rodriguez

Florida State University - Center for Underrepresented Minorities in Academic Medicine

Kendall Campbell

Florida State University - Center for Underrepresented Minorities in Academic Medicine

Date Written: June 1, 2015

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Mission statements of medical schools vary considerably. These statements reflect institutional values and may also be reflected in the outputs of their institutions. The authors explored the relationship between US medical school mission statement content and outcomes in terms of graduate location and specialty choices.

Methods: A panel of stakeholders (medical school deans, faculty, medical students, and administrators) completed a Web-based instrument to create a linear scale of social mission content (SMC scale), scoring the degree to which medical school mission statements reflect the social mission of medical education to address inequities. The SMC scale and targeted medical school outputs were analyzed via OLS regression, controlling for allopathic/osteopathic and public/private school designation. The medical school outputs of interest included percent physician output in primary care specialties (family medicine, pediatrics, and general internal medicine), as well as percent physician output in designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) and Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P).

Results: SMC scale was a statistically significant, positive predictor of the percent of physician graduates entering primary care (β=2.526, P=.001). When examining the specialties within primary care, the SMC scale only significantly predicted percent of graduating physicians entering family medicine (β=1.936, P=.003). SMC scale was also a statistically significant predictor of several measures of physician output to work in underserved areas and populations, the strongest of which was the percent of graduating physicians working in MUA/Ps (β=4.256, P≤.01).

Conclusions: Mission statements that are diligently utilized by leaders in medical education may produce a higher degree of alignment between institutional structure, ideology, and workforce outcomes.

Keywords: Medical Education, primary care, underserved, disadvantaged, social accountability, social responsibilty

JEL Classification: D64, I10, I18, I19, I29

Suggested Citation

Morley, Christopher P. and Mader, Emily and Smilnak, Timothy and Bazemore, Andrew and Petterson, Stephen and Rodriguez, José and Campbell, Kendall, The Social Mission in Medical School Mission Statements: Associations with Graduate Outcomes (June 1, 2015). Fam Med. 2015 Jun;47(6):427-34, 2015, Humanistic Management Network, Research Paper Series No. 36/15, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2690315

Christopher P. Morley (Contact Author)

SUNY Upstate Medical University, Department of Family Medicine ( email )

College of Health Professions
Department of Physical Therapy
Syracuse, NY 13210
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.upstate.edu/fmed/research.php

Emily Mader

Department of Family Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University ( email )

College of Health Professions
Department of Physical Therapy
Syracuse, NY 13210
United States

Timothy Smilnak

State University of New York (SUNY) - SUNY Upstate Medical University ( email )

College of Health Professions
Department of Physical Therapy
Syracuse, NY 13210
United States

Andrew Bazemore

University of Cincinnati - College of Medicine ( email )

260 Stetson Street, Suite 3200
P. O. Box 670559
Cincinnati, OH 45219
United States

Stephen Petterson

Robert Graham Center ( email )

Washington, DC
United States

José Rodriguez

Florida State University - Center for Underrepresented Minorities in Academic Medicine ( email )

Tallahassee, FL
United States

Kendall Campbell

Florida State University - Center for Underrepresented Minorities in Academic Medicine ( email )

Tallahassee, FL
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
148
Abstract Views
1,100
Rank
355,153
PlumX Metrics