Abstract. The assumption that students entering medical school have successfully developed adequate reading skills was tested empirically in a limited setting. The Nelson-Denny Reading Test was administered to 268 entering freshmen medical students at the Albany Medical College. Preliminary results indicated that this assumption was violated in an unexpected number of cases as evidenced by substandard performance on the test. Examination of student records revealed that deficiencies in reading skills may be contributing to academic failures in medical school. Further research in this area was encouraged not only to enhance student success but ultimately to improve the quality of medical education itself.
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