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Paralyzed Veterans of America - Spinal Cord Injury Summer Scholars Program: Impact on Participants

B. Jenny Kiratli, PhD; Michael Dunn, PhD; R Sasaki, MD; Inder Perkash, MD; Vernon W.H. Lin, MD PhD


Objectives: For seven years, the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Center, VA Palo Alto has offered an educational summer program that introduces a small group of pre-medical students to essential issues of spinal cord injury medicine and life and to clinical research and health care in a VA setting. The PVA/SCI Summer Scholars Program provides primary exposure to the diverse facets of clinical medicine and research for motivated undergraduates and recent graduates, selected from major universities around the country, who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine. The program includes mentored participation in research projects relevant to SCI medicine; immersion in the SCI Service clinical setting; and attendance of weekly seminars, lab tours, and/or demonstrations presented by clinicians in a wide array of medical fields. The objectives of the program include exposure to:

  • a wide array of medical specialties and how they operate in the VA setting,

  • the process of conducting clinically relevant research, primarily under the auspices of mentors funded by Rehabilitation R&D Merit Review,

  • the team approach necessary to provide comprehensive care to patients with SCI, and

  • the unique circumstances and situations relevant to persons with disabilities - encompassing medical, psychosocial and lifestyle issues.

The short-term impact of this program was determined from participants’ attitudes about and discomfort with disability measured at the beginning and end of each summer. Longer term impact was assessed via survey of past participants’ career decisions and current situation.

Methods: Program participants were administered two psychometrically validated instruments in the first and final weeks of the program. The Modified Issues in Disability Scale (MIDS) was used to measure attitudes toward disability, and the Rehabilitation Situations Inventory (RSI) was used to measure discomfort in behavioral interactions which may occur in inpatient rehabilitation situations. Data were available for 27 participants.

Results: Repeated measures MANOVA showed an overall statistically significant instruments-by-time interaction (F 1,26=13.899, p=.0009). Separate repeated measures ANOVAs on each of the instruments showed a statistically significant increase in positive attitudes toward disability (F 1,26=13.541, p=.0011) and a statistically significant increase in comfort with disability (F 1,26=9.023, p=.0058). In comparisons with published reference values for both instruments, it was found that the Summer Scholars were comparable to nondisabled undergraduates at the pre-test and to disabled undergraduates at the post-test. Despite increased comfort, however, post-test values were below those of rehabilitation professionals. On follow-up survey, most scholars indicate that the program influenced their career decision, and the majority have been admitted (or plan to apply) to medical school.

Conclusions: The SCI Summer Scholars Program provides an early positive exposure to rehabilitation and research. As they pursue their careers, participants will incorporate their new knowledge and attitudes in their medical practices, regardless of whether they specialize in SCI (or rehabilitation) medicine. In the future, these scholars may well be in positions to have great impact in the lives and clinical care of persons with SCI and other disabilities.

Funding Acknowledgment: The Summer Scholars Program is funded by the Paralyzed Veterans of America Bay Area and Western Chapter, with support from the National Office.