Implementation of a study skills program for entering at-risk medical students

Abstract

While the first year of medical school is challenging for all students, there may be specific issues for students from rural areas, economically disadvantaged backgrounds, ethnic minorities, or nontraditional age groups. A Summer Prematriculation Program (SPP) was created to prepare entering at-risk students for the demands of medical school. For the past 2 yr, an emphasis was placed on the development of appropriate study plans and skills. On presurveys, students predicted an increase in their number of study hours per lecture hour, from 7.6 h in undergraduate coursework to 9.1 h in medical school coursework (n = 35). These study plans were infeasible given the rigorous didactic lecture schedule in medical school. Interventions were made through lectures on study plans and modeling of appropriate study habits using engaging lectures in the SPP physiology course. At the end of the program, a postsurvey was given, and students reported a reduction in the planned hours of study to a more realistic 3.9 h of study time per hour of lecture. Furthermore, students planned to decrease their use of textbooks while increasing their use of concept mapping, videos, and peer teaching. The majority of students completing the SPP program with a study skills emphasis performed well in the Medical Physiology course, with 4 students honoring in the course, 27 students passing, and 2 students remediating the course after an initial failure. These results indicate that at-risk medical students may have inappropriate study plans that can be improved through participation in a program that emphasizes study skills development.

Keywords: active learning; engaging lectures; instructional design; study skills.

Fig. 1.

Comparison of study hours. Students reported a planned increase in study hours for medical school from their undergraduate study habits. After the Summer Prematriculation Program (SPP), there was a statistically significant decrease in the planned hours of study for medical school. Data are presented as means ± SD; n = 35 students (2 yr of the program), *P < 0.05 by one-way ANOVA with a Tukey post hoc test.

Fig. 2.

Comparison of compiled hours before and after the SPP. Initial student plans were infeasible given the time constraints of the first-year medical school curriculum. The black bar indicates the actual number of hours per week (168 h total). Sleep schedules are approximated at 7 h/night. After the SPP, students reduced their planned study hours per week. n = 35 students (2 yr of the program).

Fig. 3.

Comparison of specific study methods. Likert-scale questions were used to assess the study methods that students used in their undergraduate coursework versus the methods that they planned to use in medical school after participating in the SPP. Likert-scale responses ranged from 1 to 5, with 1 = not at all, 3 = sometimes, and 5 = often. Data are presented as means ± SD; n = 35 students (2 yr of the program). *P < 0.05 by Mann-Whitney U-test for nonparametric Likert-scale data.

Fig. 4.

Performance of SPP students in the Medical Physiology course. To obtain honors in the course, students must achieve above a 90% average. Grades below a 70% average constitute a failure that may be remediated through an online course.