189 Rewriting the Narrative: Developing and implementing an innovative mentorship and professional development program to support part-time nontraditional PhD students

Abstract

Objectives/Goals: Increasingly, women and people of color are earning PhDs. However, historically underrepresented (HU) degree seekers often follow a “nontraditional” track, pursuing their degree part time, at an older age, and balancing work and family with their studies. Over half of the U.S. PhD students are part time, a feature correlated with candidate diversity. Methods/Study Population: To address this need, the Advancing Diversity and Equity in Pre-doctoral Trainees (ADEPT) program was developed for part-time HU students who do not meet the requirements of the NIH-funded NRSA TL1 program but who offer relevant work and life experience. The program provides individualized navigation and tailored support based on individual student need and career goals, flexible training opportunities, and intentional connections to established, dedicated, and well-trained mentors throughout the predoctoral journey. To better understand their unique needs, we conducted thematic analysis on the notes taken during monthly meetings to explore the challenges our students face and how ADEPT provides support in navigating these challenges. Results/Anticipated Results: Students pursuing a PhD on a part-time basis while balancing other responsibilities, such as caretaking or a full-time job, bring a unique perspective to their graduate education. 5 ADEPT students described how their background or clinical work experience played a crucial role in their decision to pursue a PhD. Themes from the monthly meeting and mentor meeting notes include the challenges of balancing full-time jobs with school, and how they do not experience the cohort effect that a traditional, full-time PhD student would have as a resource. The students reflected on how an individualized culturally sensitive approach was instrumental to their success. Discussion/Significance of Impact: It was initially believed that part-time PhD students were rare. Despite this misconception, we easily recruited students. Students reported their experiences do not reflect the experiences of their full-time peers and their difficulty establishing a peer group, demonstrating the clear need for ADEPT.