Recruitment and retention of students from minority groups

Abstract

Background and Purpose. Studies have identified strategies used in physical therapist education to recruit and retain students from minority groups. However, physical therapist education has evolved since these studies were published. The purpose of this study was to examine current practice in recruiting and retaining students from minority groups. Subjects. Seventy program directors of programs offering master's or doctoral degrees in physical therapy responded to a survey. Methods. The survey questionnaire requested information on program demographics, numbers of applicants, students and graduates from minority groups, and recruitment and retention strategies utilized. The most frequently used strategies were identified. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were performed to determine which strategies were associated with better recruitment and retention of students from minority groups. Results. Fifty programs made a special effort to recruit and retain students from minority groups. Nine recruitment strategies and 3 retention activities were associated with programs having higher proportions of minority applicants, students, and graduates. Discussion and Conclusion. The most frequently used strategies were incongruent with the strategies used by programs with higher proportions of applicants, students, and graduates from minority groups. This study provides information to help physical therapist educators determine which strategies help recruit and retain students from minority groups.