Despite this result, we learned several useful lessons about study groups and interactions between first-year and upper-level medical students: (1) Students perceived participation in the study groups as a good learning strategy, but preferred participation not be mandated. It may be preferable to train and encourage students to run their own study groups. (2) Both students and proctors acknowledged interpersonal benefits from the program but, as these benefits can be achieved by other means, an expensive proctor-based program is not, we believe, the best use of academic support resources. (3) Focus in the study groups was on content for the quizzes, but more attention to how-to-learn strategies may have had greater impact.
Introduction: Near-peer (MS II) tutoring is one way to address academic deficits while adding a coaching and mentoring experience for first year medical students (MSI). Self-efficacy is defined as belief in one's ability to perform well on a certain task. Low self-efficacy may lead to avoidance, reducing the possibility of skill improvement, high self-efficacy can focus effort and create persistence leading to task success.
Educating medical students is resource intensive, including substantial human, financial, and capital investment. When students experience academic difficulty, there are ramifications for faculty and staff, as well as personal stress and anxiety experienced by the struggling student. This article offers some lessons learned in the process of developing a medical school curriculum-wide system to support struggling students. This model for a comprehensive academic support program describes a formal structure for intervention beginning at new student orientation with the hope of preventing course failure and the complications of remediation. Some eight years ago, our medical school (400 students) embarked on this targeted consolidation and integration effort for academic support services. As implemented, Learning Specialists from the Office of Academic Resources & Support (OARS) meet with and coach students from all classes (MSI-MSIV) for medical school transition, learning and study skills training, both theoretical and clinical exam remediation, licensing exam preparation (US), curriculum schedule monitoring, personal issues, and research project coaching. Learning Specialists work closely with the Student Affairs and Assessment offices and initiatives, and participate in Curriculum and Block (course) Directors meetings. Despite a 25% increase in student matriculants six years ago, many with challenging personal and academic situations, we maintain an average 85% four to five-year graduation rate, which includes personal, academic, and enrichment activities. As a unit of Undergraduate Medical Education (UME), the academic support program has evolved and continues as a meaningful voice for student performance intervention.
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