The authors examined the impact of students' research involvement during medical school on their postresidency medical activities. The three medical schools involved--The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine (PSU), The University of Connecticut School of Medicine (UCONN), and The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMASS)--have nearly indistinguishable applicant, matriculant, and curriculum profiles. However, at PSU a research project is a curriculum requirement for students who did not do medical research prior to entering medical school. Questionnaires were sent to all graduates from the classes of 1980, 1981, and 1982. A total of 567 graduates completed the questionnaires, an overall response rate of approximately 76%. Medical school research experience was reported by 83% (183) of the PSU graduates, 34% (52) of the UCONN graduates, and 28% (54) of the UMASS graduates. When compared on a school-by-school basis, the graduates from the three schools did not differ with respect to residency specialty training, fellowship training, academic appointments, career practice choices, or postgraduate research involvement. However, when all the graduates studied were examined as a single group, medical school research experience was found to be strongly associated with postgraduate research involvement.

The cognitive development of children with either early or late onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was investigated with tasks measuring intellectual ability, memory, and academic progress. In addition, children's perceptions of their competence and parents' perspectives on family functioning and their children's behavior were compared. It was found that children with IDDM scored within the normal range on standardized measures of intelligence and academic performance but evidenced some school difficulties, as reflected in subscale performance as well as in their need of remedial education services. Further, evidence was found to suggest deficiencies in children's use of strategies to organize and recall information, particularly for those with early onset of disease. Children's perceived self-competencies and parents' reports of family functioning were strikingly similar across groups. However, parents of those children whose illness began prior to age 5 reported their children to have poor attention spans and difficulty completing tasks.

The University of Michigan has a support program aimed at early identification, remedial plans, and appropriate academic accommodations for at-risk students in under-graduate colleges and graduate and professional schools. Since 1994, the medical school has formally taken part in this program. Medical students at risk for academic failure (e.g., repeated failure in academic course work, licensure examinations, clinical examinations) are automatically referred to their academic counselors in the Student Programs Office of the medical school. Once a referral is made, the student is evaluated at the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities to identify problem areas. The office makes appropriate recommendations for interventions or accommodation. Tutoring, academic assistance, and other services are available through the medical school, specific divisions of the medical center, and the community. The Student Programs Office acts as a liaison between community and university assistance programs and between the student and the medical school. During the first four years of the program, 28 medical students were identified through it; of these, 24 (86%) were underrepresented minorities. Most (21) were referred during the first and third years of the curriculum. After a range of services for a variety of problems, 26 (93%) of the 28 students either graduated or continued to progress in their studies; the other two left the medical school for academic reasons.

The cognitive development of children with either early or late onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was investigated with tasks measuring intellectual ability, memory, and academic progress. In addition, children's perceptions of their competence and parents' perspectives on family functioning and their children's behavior were compared. It was found that children with IDDM scored within the normal range on standardized measures of intelligence and academic performance but evidenced some school difficulties, as reflected in subscale performance as well as in their need of remedial education services. Further, evidence was found to suggest deficiencies in children's use of strategies to organize and recall information, particularly for those with early onset of disease. Children's perceived self-competencies and parents' reports of family functioning were strikingly similar across groups. However, parents of those children whose illness began prior to age 5 reported their children to have poor attention spans and difficulty completing tasks.

The results support the use of a formal PB program to provide academic readiness and support for URM students prior to medical school. Such a program may also improve retention. Noncognitive variables, however, may be important to understanding the success of such students in medical school.