Case Study:



Enhancing Digital Resource Support for Medical Education Advisors
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Case Study: Enhancing Digital Resource Support for Medical Education Advisors

Client: Medical Education Organization
Lead Researcher: Dayton D. Starnes II, Ph.D.
Methodology: In-depth Interviews (n=26)
Participant Segments: Pre-health, Career, Financial Aid, and Specialty Advisors
Deliverables: 50-slide insights report, 2 journey maps

Project Overview:

The client commissioned a qualitative research initiative to better understand the roles, responsibilities, workflows, and unmet support needs of academic advisors who guide learners across the medical education continuum. The project aimed to uncover actionable insights to inform the development of more accessible, equitable, and user-centered tools and services.

Research Objectives:

• Identify the scope of advisor responsibilities across key functional areas.
• Map advising workflows and tools used in practice.
• Surface challenges, gaps, and opportunities to improve the advising experience and learner support ecosystem.

Research Approach:

1. Stakeholder Alignment Workshop

• The project began with a cross-functional alignment session involving product, service design, and DEI stakeholders to clarify research objectives and define success criteria.

2. Stakeholder Interviews 

• Prior to the generation of the Research Plan and Discussion Guide, 4 SME stakeholders (aligned with the 4 participant segments) were interviewed to provide context on the Advisor personas. That data was used to inform the creation of the Discussion Guide. 

3. Qualitative Interviews

• Sample: 26 academic advisors across four key advising roles.
• Format: Remote 1:1 semi-structured interviews (60 minutes each).
• Focus Areas: Role definition, student engagement models, resource use, and systemic barriers.

4. Insights and Ideation Workshop

• Following synthesis, a collaborative workshop was conducted with internal stakeholders to review key findings and co-prioritize potential solution directions.

Key Insights

1. Advisor Roles and Responsibilities Are Expansive and Distinct

• Pre-health Advisors act as generalist mentors, blending structured programs with individualized support.
• Career Advisors facilitate student reflection, strategic planning, and residency preparation.
• Financial Aid Advisors support traditional financial counseling while addressing the growing need for financial literacy.
• Specialty Advisors provide targeted support during the later stages of medical education, particularly in specialty selection and the residency match process.

2. Advising Duties and Workflows Are Structured Yet Adaptive
Each advising segment maintains a defined but flexible approach:

• Pre-health Advisors support students from pre-orientation through career entry.
• Career Advisors guide learners through the full medical school timeline (M1–M4) and into residency.
• Financial Aid Advisors engage students from the pre-matriculation phase through post-graduation planning.
• Specialty Advisors offer intensive support in the final year of medical school, particularly around the application and match process.

3. Systemic Challenges Limit Advisor Effectiveness

• Resource Accessibility: Advisors face barriers in locating and utilizing the organization’s tools and data efficiently.
• Equity in Preparation: High costs for preparation materials and limited access to experiential learning disproportionately affect students from low-income backgrounds.
• Data Transparency: Insufficient and unclear residency program data creates advising blind spots.
• Misinformation Management: Advisors frequently work to correct false or misleading information sourced from online communities.
• Career Diversification: A lack of formal resources exists for students pursuing non-clinical careers post-graduation.

Recommendations

• Increase MCAT Resource Accessibility: Introduce tiered, low- or no-cost prep options to reduce barriers to entry.
• Redesign Digital Tools: Align platform content and navigation with advisor workflows to improve efficiency.
• Enhance Residency Data: Create “Typical Resident” profiles and transparent competitiveness indicators to improve advising quality.
• Centralize Advisor Resources: Develop a digital toolkit with best practices, templates, and inclusive advising strategies.
• Support Preclinical Exploration: Collaborate with institutions to formalize early shadowing opportunities.
• Expand Career Pathway Content: Provide structured guidance for students pursuing non-clinical or hybrid career options.

Impact
The research established a foundational understanding of advisor needs and system-level gaps, enabling the client to refocus strategic priorities around more user-centered, equitable solutions. The findings informed roadmap development, supported equity-focused initiatives, and laid the groundwork for a future co-design phase with advisors to test new concepts.

Next Steps

• Product Alignment: Research insights were integrated into product planning and content strategy processes.
• Co-Design Implementation: Advisors will participate in future design iterations to ensure solutions are grounded in real-world practice.
• Evaluation Frameworks: Future efforts will measure how tool enhancements and new resources impact both advisor performance and learner outcomes.

Artifact Examples: 
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