Abstract
Medical schools use pre-matriculation programs consisting of knowledge-based curricula to prepare at-risk students. There is limited evidence showing the direct benefit of these programs with long-term success. We propose a pre-matriculation program focused on professional development and wellness to facilitate student acclimation and, in turn, academic success.
Keywords: Pre-matriculation, Academic success, Professional development
Medical school curricula task students with learning vast amounts of knowledge in a high-stress environment. First-year students struggle with adapting to this fast-paced environment, contributing to subpar academic performance, poor mental health, and attrition. The AAMC reported an attrition rate for allopathic programs of approximately 3% for the past decade. Remarkably, non-academic reasons (1.8%) rather than academic (1.2%) were more often linked to this attrition [1]. Other work shows that medical students experience academic challenges for a variety of reasons, including intrinsic differences in learning styles and institutional issues related to the learning environment [2].
We developed a pre-matriculation program specifically designed to address the difficulties associated with adapting to a new learning environment. The curriculum focuses on empowering students with information, tools, and strategies regarding the approach to learning in medical school rather than any specific content deficits. We specifically sought to deliver sessions improving students’ self-efficacy and perceived preparedness for medical school. The pre-matriculation program consisted of seven synchronous sessions conducted virtually (Table 1). The first three sessions focused on familiarizing students with the curriculum, institutional structure, academic leadership, and peer-driven resources. These sessions introduced students to integral resources we previously identified as beneficial for students struggling academically. In particular, our second-year Peer-Assisted Learners (PALs) provide an opportunity for near-peer advice prior to the start of the academic year. Students participating in the program were also required to meet with directors of the courses occurring during their first semester. Lastly, students were tasked with creating personalized study plans for their first course in medical school. Plans were individually reviewed by key faculty members, and feedback provided on their feasibility and effectiveness. Through these sessions and activities, students familiarized themselves with the resources provided at our institution and assessed how well each aligned with their individual learning styles. Access to these before formal matriculation allowed participants to critique effective study strategies prior to implementation.
Table 1.
List of pre-matriculation program sessions. The admissions committee identified 15 students who were required to participate in the pre-matriculation program and another 16 enrolled voluntarily. Nineteen participants (n = 11) responded to a post-survey for a 61.2% response rate. Of the participants required to attend (n = 15), 8 responded to the survey for a response rate of 53.3%
| Session title | Duration (hours) |
Average student rating (Scale 1–5) |
Session led by: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation 1: Overview of curriculum and institutional structure | 2 | 4.7 | Faculty |
| Presentation 2: Peer-assisted learners and study strategies | 2 | 4.8 | Near-peer leaders |
| Presentation 3: Review of academic leadership | 2 | 3.7 | Faculty |
| Meeting with director(s) of first clinical skills course | 1 | 4.5 | Faculty |
| Meeting with director(s) of the first systems-based course | 1 | 4.5 | Faculty |
| Meeting with Assistant Dean of Curriculum | 1 | 4.7 | Faculty |
| Creation of a study plan | 1 | 4.3 | Faculty |
The pre-matriculation program was piloted in the 2022–2023 academic year with a cohort of 50 matriculants. Matriculants were assigned to pre-matriculation program participation based on admissions committee designations, which consisted of a range of criteria, from academic performance to extended gaps in educational experiences. All matriculants not selected for participation by the admissions committee were encouraged to participate. Fifteen students were required to enroll, and another 16 enrolled voluntarily (n = 31) for our pilot pre-matriculation program.
Following the completion of the pre-matriculation program, an anonymous, five-question online survey was distributed to the participants. Of the 31 participants, 19 responded with a response rate of 61.2%. The sessions were perceived as being substantially effective in preparing students for matriculation. Eighty-nine percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that this program better prepared them for the first semester of medical school. Among the seven sessions, our second presentation on study strategies led by the second-year PALs received the highest rating (95% positive response) while our third presentation on institutional leadership led by faculty received the lowest rating (68% positive response). This distribution may be due to the involvement of fellow medical students. Near-peer advising could provide students a more focused and student-centered understanding of the shifting needs of medical school. Future iterations will increase peer involvement in sessions. Additionally, we are tracking short-term and long-term outcomes of students who participated in the program relative to their peers to determine overall benefit.
Successfully acclimating to medical school is a multifactorial process. Pre-matriculation programs were traditionally devised to be exclusively focused on scientific knowledge gaps, but this method is ineffective at bridging students’ academic experiences [3]. Our multifaceted and individualized pre-matriculation program focuses on providing essential resources and guidance to at-risk students prior to encountering academic setbacks. We anticipate that this progressive approach to pre-matriculation programs will continue to evolve, empowering students to acquire the skills necessary for success in modern medical education.
Data Availability
Since the data is a simple survey with a small sample size, the raw data will not be included in the publication but can readily be provided upon request.
Declarations
Ethical Approval and Informed Consent
The study was approved by the Nova Southeastern University IRB review board (NSU IRB #: 2020-297).
Competing Interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Footnotes
Publisher's Note
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References
- 1.AAMC. Graduation rates and attrition rates of U.S. medical students. In: AAMC student records system. Published October 2022. https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/students-residents/report/graduation-rates-and-attrition-rates-us-medical-students. Accessed 17 Apr 2023
- 2.Ahmady S, Khajeali N, Sharifi F, Mirmoghtadaei ZS. Factors related to academic failure in preclinical medical education: a systematic review. J Adv Med Educ Prof. 2019;7(2):74. doi: 10.30476/JAMP.2019.44711. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
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Associated Data
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Data Availability Statement
Since the data is a simple survey with a small sample size, the raw data will not be included in the publication but can readily be provided upon request.