Abstract
ABSTRACTBackground and objectives: A four-week interdisciplinary pre-matriculation program for Native American and rural medical students was created and its impact on students’ transition to medical school was assessed. The program extends the goals of many pre-matriculation programs by aiming to increase not only students’ understanding of basic science knowledge, but also to build student self-efficacy through practice with medical school curricular elements while developing their academic support networks.Design: A mixed method evaluation was used to determine whether the goals of the program were achieved (n = 22). Student knowledge gains and retention of the microbiology content were assessed using a microbiology concept inventory. Students participated in focus groups to identify the benefits of participating in the program as well as the key components of the program that benefitted the students.Results: Program participants showed retention of microbiology content and increased confidence about the overall medical school experience after participating in the summer program.Conclusions: By nurturing self-efficacy, participation in a pre-matriculation program supported medical students from Native American and rural backgrounds during their transition to medical school.Abbreviations: CAIMH: Center of American Indian and Minority Health; MCAT: Medical College Admission Test; PBL: Problem based learning; UM MSD: University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth
Highlights
There has been an increased popularity of pre-matriculation courses in the nation’s medical schools as a means to reduce student academic hardship and attrition [1]
At the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth campus (UM MSD) we chose to design a program beginning with the view that we would extend beyond goals of many programs by placing greater emphasis on student self-efficacy as a means to promote student success throughout their medical education
The school is home to the Center of American Indian and Minority Health (CAIMH) which has played an integral role in Native American medical student recruitment and retention
Summary
There has been an increased popularity of pre-matriculation courses in the nation’s medical schools as a means to reduce student academic hardship and attrition [1]. These programs vary significantly in length, activities, and content. The program extends the goals of many pre-matriculation programs by aiming to increase students’ understanding of basic science knowledge, and to build student self-efficacy through practice with medical school curricular elements while developing their academic support networks. Conclusions: By nurturing self-efficacy, participation in a pre-matriculation program supported medical students from Native American and rural backgrounds during their transition to medical school
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