Evaluating the Impact of Pre-Matriculation Instruction on Academic Performance in the Anatomical and Physiological Sciences
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The Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine recently implemented a prematriculation program (MedCamp) for a selected group of first year students. This study was conducted to correlate the MedCamp experience with academic performance in the firstyear 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 4week MedCamp included: providing a headstart on acculturating to the medical community; taking select firstyear 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. Twentyfour students who met the selecting criteria for this program participated voluntarily in MedCamp. Students ranged in age from 2151, 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 ttests, =0.05). Our findings suggested that the MedCamp prematriculation program was effective in preparing students who have been traditionally identified in the literature as having preadmission factors associated with difficulties in medical school. These findings align with findings of other prematriculation programs in regard to medical school academic performance.Support or Funding InformationThe Minority Health Research and Education Grant Program (Higher Education Coordinating Board)
