Predicting success in graduate entry medical students undertaking a graduate entry medical program

Self-efficacy and confidence of medical students with prior scribing experience: A mixed methods study

PURPOSE

Medical scribing is an increasingly common way for pre-medical students to gain clinical experience. Scribes are a valuable part of the healthcare team and have high rates of matriculation into health professional programs. Little is known about the effects of scribing on the success of the student. This manuscript aims to determine the effect of scribing experience on clinical self-efficacy during medical school.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

Perceived clinical self-efficacy was evaluated with validated survey questions using a 5-point Likert-type scale as well as free text responses. The survey was completed by 175 medical students at the Frank H. Netter, MD School of Medicine. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS. As part of the mixed methods study, free text responses were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Quantitative results showed no statistical difference in perceived clinical self-efficacy between medical students with scribing experience and those without. Analysis of free text responses showed that medical students believed their scribing experience improved comfort in the clinical setting and increased familiarity with medical terminology.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Medical students with scribing experience did not demonstrate greater clinical self-efficacy than their peers without scribing experience. However, medical students with scribing experience have a perceived value of their pre-medical scribing experience on their success in medical school.

Prior degree and academic performance in medical school: evidence for prioritising health students and moving away from a bio-medical science-focused entry stream

BACKGROUND

Given the importance of the selection process, many medical schools are reviewing their selection criteria. The traditional pathway for post-graduate medicine has been from science-based undergraduate degrees, however some programs are expanding their criteria. In this study we investigated academic success across all years and themes of the Deakin University medical degree, based on the type of degree undertaken prior to admission. We evaluated whether the traditional pathway of biomedical science into medicine should remain the undergraduate degree of choice, or whether other disciplines should be encouraged.

METHODS

Data from 1159 students entering the degree from 2008 to 2016 was collected including undergraduate degree, grade point average (GPA), Graduate Medical Schools Admission Test (GAMSAT) score and academic outcomes during the 4 years of the degree. Z-scores were calculated for each assessment within each cohort and analysed using a one sample t-test to determine if they differed from the cohort average. Z-scores between groups were analysed by 1-way ANOVA with LSD post-hoc analysis correcting for multiple comparisons.

RESULTS

The majority of students had Science (34.3%) or Biomedical Science (31.0%) backgrounds. 27.9% of students had a Health-related undergraduate degree with smaller numbers of students from Business (3.5%) and Humanities (3.4%) backgrounds. At entry, GPA and GAMSAT scores varied significantly with Biomedical Science and Science students having significantly higher scores than Health students. Health students consistently outperformed students from other disciplines in all themes while Biomedical Science students underperformed.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that a Health-related undergraduate degree results in the best performance throughout medical school, whereas a Biomedical Science background is associated with lower performance. These findings challenge the traditional Biomedical Science pathway into medicine and suggest that a health background might be more favourable when determining the selection criteria for graduate entry into medicine.

A comparison of the academic performance of graduate entry and undergraduate entry pharmacy students at the course exit level

INTRODUCTION

Graduate entry (GE) pharmacy students are trained in a shorter timeframe than undergraduate entry (UE) students. This study compares the academic performance of GE and UE pharmacy students at the course exit point.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of final exam grades in written and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was performed between GE and UE students from three graduating cohorts. Final written examination contained clinical case study questions, whereas OSCE involved role play with simulated patients or doctors. Statistical analyses were performed by t-test and one-way analysis of variance at .05 significance level and Pearson's correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

No significant difference in academic performance was seen between GE and UE groups at course exit (P > .05). There was a trend for GE students performing marginally better in OSCE than UE students. Females showed better performances in verbal communication than males. GE males showed significantly lower empathy scores than all other groups. No significant difference was seen in problem-solving scores amongst all groups. Both UE and GE groups scored significantly better in written examinations compared with OSCE.

CONCLUSIONS

Graduate entry pharmacy students from accelerated learning pathway and UE students performed similarly at the course exit point, providing empirical support for non-traditional graduate entry pathway as a viable option.

Female In-Class Participation and Performance Increase with More Female Peers and/or a Female Instructor in Life Sciences Courses

As we strive to make science education more inclusive, more research is needed to fully understand gender gaps in academic performance and in-class participation in the life sciences. Studies suggest that male voices dominate introductory biology courses, but no studies have been done on upper-level courses. Results on achievement gender gaps in biology vary and often conflict, and no studies have been done on the correlation between participation and academic performance gaps. We observed 34 life sciences courses at all levels at a large private university. Overall, males were more likely to participate than their female peers, but these gender gaps varied from class to class. Females participated more in classes in which the instructor called on most hands that were raised or in classes with more females in attendance. Performance gender gaps also varied by classroom, but female final course grades were as much as 0.2 SD higher in classes with a female instructor and/or a female student majority. Gender gaps in participation and final course grades were positively correlated, but this could be solely because female students are more likely to both participate more and earn higher grades in classes with many females in attendance.

Impact of accelerated, graduate-entry medicine courses: a comparison of profile, success, and specialty destination between graduate entrants to accelerated or standard medicine courses in UK

BACKGROUND

Little research has compared the profile, success, or specialty destinations of graduates entering UK medical schools via accelerated, 4-yr, standard 5-yr and 6-yr programmes. Four research questions directed this investigation:- What are the success rates for graduates entering graduate-entry vs. undergraduate medicine courses? How does the sociodemographic and educational profile differ between these two groups? Is success - in medical school and foundation training - dependent on prior degree, demographic factors, or aptitude test performance at selection? What specialty do graduate entry medicine students subsequently enter?

METHODS

The data from two cohorts of graduates entering medical school in 2007 and 2008 (n = 2761) in the UKMED (UK Medical Education Database) database were studied: 1445 taking 4-yr and 1150 taking 5-yr medicine courses, with smaller numbers following other programmes.

RESULTS

Completion rates for degree programmes were high at 95%, with no significant difference between programme types. 4-yr entrants were older, less likely to be from Asian communities, had lower HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) tariff scores, but higher UKCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test) and GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test) scores, than 5-yr entrants. Higher GAMSAT scores, black or minority ethnicity (BME), and younger age were independent predictors of successful completion of medical school. Foundation Programme (FPAS) selection measures (EPM - educational performance measure; SJT - situational judgment test) were positively associated with female sex, but negatively with black or minority ethnicity. Higher aptitude test scores were associated with EPM and SJT, GAMSAT with EPM, UKCAT with SJT. Prior degree subject, class of degree, HESA tariff, and type of medicine programme were not related to success.

CONCLUSIONS

The type of medicine programme has little effect on graduate entrant completion, or EPM or SJT scores, despite differences in student profile. Aptitude test score has some predictive validity, as do sex, age and BME, but not prior degree subject or class. Further research is needed to disentangle the influences of BME.

Proficiency testing for admission to the postgraduate family medicine education

Theory:

In Belgium, there are no family medicine admission requirements. A three-phase admission program is developed and implemented by the collaboration of four involved universities.

Hypotheses:

A pilot testing of phase 2, comprising actual proficiency test, is designed as answer to two research questions: What is the validity and reliability of a multicomponent proficiency test? How does a multicomponent proficiency test proportionate to the final grades of family medicine master candidates?

Methods:

The population consisted of all last master-phase students applying for family medicine education in Flanders. Students completed a machine-assisted test on knowledge and situational judgment skills and evidence-based medicine appraisal.

Results:

In total, 322 students completed the test. A regression analysis measuring the relationship between the master grades and the test score revealed an odds ratio of 1.1. Analysis of variance showed that the differences were significant between the upper quartile and the lowest quartile of the test results. A qualitative appraisal of the test results showed that the highest and lowest quartiles of the full-test score included the students who were, respectively, known as “very good” or “very poor.”

Conclusion:

The test scores were in agreement with the performance and profiling of the participating students. The test succeeded in identifying poor-performing students and in confirming competences of the average- and high-performing students. In the future, retesting will add to the statements on reliability and will refine the test construction. Follow-up will address validity.

Self-reported extracurricular activity, academic success, and quality of life in UK medical students

OBJECTIVES

To explore the relationship between academic performance, extracurricular activity, and quality of life at medical school in the UK to aid our understanding of students' work-life balance.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study, using an electronic questionnaire distributed to UK final year medical students across 20 medical schools (4478 students). Participants reported the hours of self-regulated learning and extracurricular activities undertaken each year at medical school; along with their academic decile (1 = highest, 10 = lowest). Self-reported quality of life (QoL) was assessed using an established screening tool (7 = highest, 1 = lowest).

RESULTS

Seven hundred responses were obtained, across 20 participating medical schools, response rate 16% (700/4478). Factors associated with higher academic achievement were: graduate entry course students (2 deciles higher, p < 0.0001), more hours academic study during term and revision periods (rho=-0.1, p < 0.01), and involvement in teaching or research. Increased hours of study was associated with lower QoL (rho = -0.13, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Study skills may be more important than duration spent studying, for academic achievement and QoL. Graduate-entry students attain higher decile scores despite similar self-reported duration of study.