A summer prematriculation program to help students succeed in medical school

Abstract

Medical schools with a diverse student body face the challenge of ensuring that all students succeed academically. Many medical schools have implemented prematriculation programs to prepare students from diverse backgrounds; however, evidence on their impact is largely lacking. In this study, we analyzed participants' demographics as well as the impact of the prematriculation program on Year 1 performance. Predictive validity of the program was assessed and compared to other traditional predictors, including grade point average (GPA) and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores and subscores. Linear mixed effect models determined the impact of the prematriculation program, and linear regression analysis assessed the predictive value of the overall score in the prematriculation program and other traditional predictors. Demographics of students participating in the prematriculation program from 2013 to 2015 (n = 75) revealed a significantly higher prevalence of academically disadvantaged students including older students, students with lower GPA and MCAT scores and students of racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in medicine, compared to non-participants (n = 293). Participants performed significantly better in Year 1 courses that were covered in the prematriculation program compared to courses that were not covered. The overall performance in the prematriculation program correlated significantly with Year 1 performance and was found to be a strong predictor for Year 1 performance. This study suggests that a prematriculation program can help students to succeed in the first year of medical school. The results have implications for medical schools seeking to implement or evaluate the effectiveness of their prematriculation program.

Implementation, Revisions, and Student Perceptions of a Pre-Matriculation Program in a School of Pharmacy

“…[19][20][21] Most schools of medicine offer pre-matriculation programs, which usually last from three to seven weeks. 20,[23][24][25][26][27][28] These medical pre-matriculation programs also differ in their aims, scope (eg, basic science enrichment, study skills Abbreviations: IPPE5introductory pharmacy practice experience a Sessions are listed in order of importance under each section. Selection according to allowed time and preference for school's objective b These sessions can be placed strategically throughout the first-year curriculum according to when it best correlates with delivery of relevant material in school's curriculum acquisition), and targeted student population.…”

“…Selection according to allowed time and preference for school's objective b These sessions can be placed strategically throughout the first-year curriculum according to when it best correlates with delivery of relevant material in school's curriculum acquisition), and targeted student population. 20,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Because the programs are substantially different, the outcomes also vary, with some programs reporting positive academic outcomes while others do not. 19,20,21,26 Pre-matriculation programs sometimes result in a boost in the confidence of their participants in their readiness for medical school.…”

“…20,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Because the programs are substantially different, the outcomes also vary, with some programs reporting positive academic outcomes while others do not. 19,20,21,26 Pre-matriculation programs sometimes result in a boost in the confidence of their participants in their readiness for medical school. 20 An interesting study showed that even a two-day (16 hours) simulation-based boot camp prior to internal medicine residency aimed to enhance specific skills, such as physical examination techniques and communication with patients and families, can result in significantly better performance in each of the simulated skills.…”

Presentation and evaluation of the teaching concept “ENHANCE” for basic sciences in medical education

“…The questionnaire consists of one major factor ("Core teaching skills", ten items, e.g., "Session is well structured") and two minor factors ("Student activation skills", two items, e.g., "Teacher asks questions to check student learning outcome"; "Student workload", two items, e.g., "Teaching pitched to the student level"). A five-point Likert scale was used for responses: "strongly disagree" (1), "disagree" (2), "neither agree nor disagree" (3), "agree" (4), and "strongly agree" (5). Cronbach's alpha coefficients as a measure of internal consistency of the three subscales were sufficient for two of the three subscales: α = 0.723 ("Student workload") and α = 0.816 ("Core teaching skills").…”

“…Due to this challenging task, medical schools developed different methods to prepare their students for the medical curriculum. For instance, pre-medical courses are offered in many countries [5,6].…”