Assessment of Gross Anatomy Boot Camp on First Year Medical Student Performance

Abstract

Lincoln Memorial University‐DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU‐DCOM) offers an optional three‐week boot camp designed to expose students to gross anatomy subject matter, anatomy lab environment, and foster effective study habits. Boot camp students, over three consecutive summers (n=152 students), were compared to non‐boot camp students for the following variables: final grade in medical gross anatomy (MGA), grades on each exam, and incoming medical school GPA and MCAT. In addition, a survey was administered to boot camp participants. A 49% survey response showed that 46% of respondents reported that the boot camp was their first exposure to anatomy, 93% of respondents approved of the breadth and depth of anatomy topics covered, and 100% agreed that it helped with the transition into medical school. There were no significant differences in incoming GPA and MCAT between boot campers and non‐boot campers. Independent two tailed t‐tests revealed significantly higher scores among boot campers for the first two lecture and lab exams (p<.0001); thereafter scores varied less among boot campers versus non‐boot campers, suggesting a faster head start for boot camp participants. Mean MGA final grade was 2‐4% higher for the boot camp cohort. Overall, the survey and grade analyses show that the boot camp improves academic performance and the transition into the first year of medical school at LMU‐DCOM.