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Pre-Health programs are designed to assist students with accessing healthcare programs in Ontario colleges by providing them with foundational instruction in health science topics and helping them meet admission requirements. This case study explored the perceived impact of a Pre-Health Sciences program in increasing access for students to health science programs, and the transition process that students experienced, as well as the perceptions of faculty who teach in health sciences programs at one Ontario college.
This exploratory descriptive case study involved a document analysis of the college’s student transfer data, an online survey that was completed by 86 former Pre-Health students, and semi-structured interviews with four former Pre-Health students as well as two current faculty members in the college’s Faculty of Health Science.
The transfer data and perceptions of participating students and faculty indicated that the Pre-Health program enabled the students to access health science programs and eased their transition into their next program. Most of the students surveyed indicated that they were able to access the health science program they were interested in by taking Pre-Health, and that the program prepared them for future study by strengthening their academic skills and helping them to grow emotionally. However, many students in the study also reported some form of transfer shock when they began their new program. Faculty members who were interviewed saw value in the Pre-Health program as a way for students to build their skills and meet admission requirements, but they believed there should be more collaboration between the Pre-Health program and other health science programs to ensure there is a clear alignment in the curriculum.
Although this study focused on the experiences of students and faculty at one college and are not generalizable, as all colleges in the province are aligned in their curriculum the findings of this study may inform policy and practice in other similar preparatory programs. The findings of the study highlighted the importance of students learning foundational skills in a supportive environment, so they feel well-prepared for their next program of study.
