Impact of High School Quality on Academic Performance Throughout Medical School

Abstract

Introduction: Numerous studies currently evaluate medical school success and performance using college Grade Point Average (GPA) and Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores. These studies demonstrate that students who score low on the MCAT will continually perform worse than their peers on medical school exams and board exams. We investigated where a student attended high school and how that factor can affect medical school performance because most studies evaluated performance based on college attendance.Methods: Our retrospective study evaluated 184 students at Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine (KSOM) and showed higher-quality high schools, in comparison to lower-quality high schools, affected medical school performance. We categorized two groups for high school quality based on the U.S. News scorecard for programs within Nevada: those students with a high school reading proficiency (HSRP) >50% and those with an HSRP <50%. These two groups were then standardized based on percentile within the school and averaged using HSRP, MCAT, pre-clinical, step 1, clinical, and step 2 scores. A line chart was graphed to demonstrate the difference between the two groups.Data/results: As might be expected, our results showed significantly higher MCAT scores from students who attended high-quality versus low-quality high schools. Our results also showed that although students from low-quality high schools performed worse for the first part of medical school, by step 2, students will score similarly in both groups.Conclusion: Students who performed poorly on the MCAT and attended lower-quality high schools will score as competitively as their peers by step 2.

Factors and barriers that influence the matriculation of underrepresented students in medicine

“…Many URiM applicants come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and attend underfunded and disinvested schools and institutions, significantly limiting the number of resources available to these students which can result in lower rates of college attendance, undergraduate degree completion, and lower MCAT scores ( Freeman et al, 2016 ; Goode and Landefeld, 2018 ; Chan et al, 2022 ; Table 3 ). The lack of informed academic advisors and less familiarity with the university and medical school application processes is also a significant barrier for URiM students to overcome, particularly those that are first-generation ( Joseph J. et al, 2021 ).…”

Does Masking MCAT Scores During Admissions Increase Equity?

“…6,9 Instead, disparities in scores by race and socioeconomic status appear to represent differences in financial resources and societal supports related to applicants' high school and college education. 10,11 For example, applicants from high-resource undergraduate institutions scored an average of 10 points higher than applicants from lower-resourced institutions. 12 This economic disparity is further amplified by the high fees charged by the test preparation industry and by the test access issues faced by underrepresented in medicine (URM) groups.…”

“…The reasons for these disparities in scores appear to be due to systemic barriers because psychometric evaluation does not indicate that either the prior or current MCAT exam is intrinsically biased 6,9 . Instead, disparities in scores by race and socioeconomic status appear to represent differences in financial resources and societal supports related to applicants’ high school and college education 10,11 . For example, applicants from high-resource undergraduate institutions scored an average of 10 points higher than applicants from lower-resourced institutions 12 .…”