Pre-matriculation program at the University of South Florida College of Medicine

Abstract

Underrepresented-minority (URM) students at the University of South Florida College of Medicine increased from 4.9% to 10.5% of the total student body from 1991 to 1997. During that period it became clear that some majority and minority students had serious academic difficulties with the first-year curriculum and that a higher proportion of the minority matriculants had difficulties. In response, the college in 1997 created the Summer Pre-matriculation Program to reduce the number of first-year students who had academic difficulty. In the summer before they matriculate in the college, the students complete a six-week program of lectures, small-group discussions, compute-aided instruction, and laboratory instruction in biochemistry, human embryology, and gross anatomy. URM students, non-science majors, and students who have been away from the academic environment (e.g., pursuing medicine as a second career) are given priority for the 20 positions available each year. At the end of the first cohort's first medical school year, the academic performances of program participants and other students were compared, and it was clear that the program participants had performed as well as or slightly better than their counterparts in gross anatomy, biochemistry, and human embryology. Further, the program participants performed at or above the class average in medical school courses for which they had not had targeted instruction during the program. The College of Medicine is committed to diversifying its student body and realizes that diverse students bring varying levels of academic preparation as well as diversity in cultural and academic backgrounds. Concerted efforts such as the pre-matriculation program may be required to normalize the "playing field" at the very outset of medical school and to ensure that every matriculant has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Analysis of testing with multiple choice versus open‐ended questions: Outcome‐based observations in an anatomy course

“…There are number of enrichment programs for high school, college, and matriculating medical or dental students sponsored by medical or dental schools and supported by governmental and private agencies. Some of these programs aim to improve academic preparation and performance by first year medical or dental students (Williams, ; Wilson et al, ; Herling et al, ). These enrichment programs have roots dating back to 1977 when Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supported the Minority Medical Education Program (MMEP) and in 2016 expanded the program to include a range of health professions and changed the program name to the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) with direction and technical assistance provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), (SHPEP, ).…”

Curriculum change for the Texas Joint Admission Medical Program undergraduate summer internship

“…During both summers, students participate in preceptorships, which entails supervised clinical exposure in various medical specialties. The need for programs like these derives from the lack of available research in the effectiveness of a course like this (Asch and Weinstein, 2014;Williams, 1999).…”

Impact of Anatomy Boot Camp on Students in a Medical Gross Anatomy Course

“…Pre‐matriculation programs are another option to increase time devoted to a subject without increasing formal curricular hours. Pre‐matriculation programs also have been implemented for educationally disadvantaged students to normalize the “playing field” to ensure every student has equal opportunities (Williams, ; Kornitzer et al, ) and to ameliorate the adjustment for medical students (Wilson et al, ). A nine‐year study evaluated the success of pre‐matriculation courses and found that greater than 90% of attendees agreed that they positively contributed to their adjustment to medical school (Hesser and Lewis, ).…”