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Evaluating the Impact of Pre‐Matriculation Instruction on Academic Performance in the Anatomical and Physiological Sciences
Author(s) -
Chico Diane E,
Smith Sherry,
Chen WeiJung A,
Peterson Thomas V,
Hairrell Angela
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.365.1
Subject(s) - matriculation , curriculum , medical education , psychology , ethnic group , health science , medicine , pedagogy , sociology , anthropology
The Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine recently implemented a pre‐matriculation program (MedCamp) for a selected group of first year students. This study was conducted to correlate the MedCamp experience with academic performance in the first‐year biomedical science disciplines in gross anatomy, histology and physiology. The exam performance of students who participated in MedCamp (“MedCampers”) was compared with that of students who did not participate in MedCamp. The components of this 4‐week MedCamp included: providing a head‐start on acculturating to the medical community; taking select first‐year curriculum courses such as anatomy, histology, physiology, and molecular medicine (including quizzes and exams); experiencing simulated clinical encounters; developing professionalism skills; providing requisite academic support and tutoring; and having a current M2 student, a staff member, and a faculty member serve as mentors. All of these activities were geared toward preparing students for the rigor of the curriculum, social and professional expectations as medical students, and insight into areas for improvement. Twenty‐four students who met the selecting criteria for this program participated voluntarily in MedCamp. Students ranged in age from 21–51, with 10 females and 14 males that represented many ethnic groups, and had an average MCAT score of 29.17 and overall BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, and math) GPA of 3.61. Data analysis is ongoing, but qualitative results were extremely positive from the participants, especially regarding social support needed for academic success. Preliminary quantitative analyses of written, laboratory practical, and overall exam performance indicated that the MedCampers performed well and did not show a significant difference in performance when compared with their peers (two tailed t ‐tests, α=0.05). Our findings suggested that the MedCamp pre‐matriculation program was effective in preparing students who have been traditionally identified in the literature as having pre‐admission factors associated with difficulties in medical school. These findings align with findings of other pre‐matriculation programs in regard to medical school academic performance. Support or Funding Information The Minority Health Research and Education Grant Program (Higher Education Coordinating Board)