Effectiveness of medical seminars for high-school students : results of a follow-up survey

We held medical seminars for high-school students who hope to become physicians to increase their motivation and to encourage them to enter Yamaguchi University. The seminars were held two or three times a year at hospitals in six locations in Yamaguchi prefecture between 2011 and 2014, and consisted of observation of facilities in hospitals, physician lectures, experience of medical practice, and Q&A sessions with physicians and medical students. A total of 210 high-school students participated in 11 seminars. The questionnaires for the participants showed 89.9% of the participants rated the seminars“very good”and 91.4% responded,“my motivation was strengthened”.Of the seminar participants, 20 of 69 high-school graduates entered the Yamaguchi University School of Medicine. The follow-up survey showed that the percentage of medical school students studying at Yamaguchi University was 69.0% (20/29) for seminar participants and 45.5% (46/101) for non-seminar participants. The results suggest that the medical seminars were as effective as expected in encouraging high-school students to become physicians and to enter Yamaguchi University.