• Program evaluation of GAB - UPSOM Chapter 

• ‘24-‘25 application cycle, 154 mentees/applicants enrolled

• GAB support included personal statement review, school selection guidance, and general advising

• Optional end-of-cycle survey assessed acceptance outcomes, scholarship attainment, resource usefulness, and willingness to recommend GAB to their peers

Results

• 136 (88%) mentees reported they could not afford any paid consulting services

Key Outcomes (n=22)

• 91% accepted to ≥1 medical school

• 68% accepted to multiple medical schools

• 27% received scholarships 

Mean Usefullness ratings (1-10):

• Giving a Boost: 7.2

• Friends: 6.0

• Other Student Organizations: 5.2

• Pre-health Advising Offices 4.8

Willingness to Recommend GAB Services to a Peer: 9.5

What Mentees Told Us:

• Desire for mock interviews earlier in the application cycle

• Many mentees engaged as needed, rather than continuously 

• Interest in founding a GAB Chapter at their future medical school

Discussion

• Mentees reported a 91% acceptance rate, exceeding the national acceptance rate of 42.9%

• Findings support the value of structured, cost-free mentorship for applicants facing financial barriers

• Program enhancements now include expanded office hours and increased mentor participation across chapters

• In the context of declining chronic pain medicine fellowship applications nationally, early advising initiatives like GAB may help introduce awareness of acute and chronic pain medicine to pre-medical students that they may lack exposure to.

Conclusion

• Giving a Boost fills a critical gap in the medical school application process by providing high-quality, no-cost mentorship to under-resourced applicants and supporting successful entry into the physician training pipeline.

Key References

• AAMC. Applicants and Matriculants Data, 2016–2026. 

• Pritzlaff SG et al. Declining pain medicine fellowship applications, 2019–2024. Pain Pract. 2025;25(1):e13441.