The effect of commercial coaching courses on performance on the MCAT

Two studies on the relationship between taking a commercial coaching course and performance on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) are reported. In both studies, one based on repeating examinees and another based on first-time examinees, differences in scores favoring coached examinees were found on the Science Knowledge and Science Problems subtests. The results on the Skills Analysis: Quantitative subtest were mixed, while neither study found differences between the two groups in scores on the Skills Analysis: Reading subtest. The analyses further revealed that the differences in scores on the Science Knowledge and Science Problems subtests were less pronounced for examinees with low scores on the Skills Analysis: Reading and Skills Analysis: Quantitative subtests, examinees with very low or very high undergraduate grade-point averages, and examinees from very selective undergraduate colleges. The substantive importance of the differences was also explored. The coaching effect was estimated to increase an average student's probability of acceptance by 5 percentage points. The results suggest that coaching for the MCAT has a limited effect that supports rather than undermines the validity of the test.     

Program for increasing enrollment of early acceptees in medical school

Early acceptees by medical schools generally have higher Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores and grade-point averages than those accepted later. Between 1977 and 1979, the number of these individuals actually enrolling at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Rutgers Medical School (UMDNJ-RMS) declined from 20.4 to 6.5 percent of all incoming medical students. This prompted the development in 1980 of a one-day, preenrollment program informing early acceptees about the UMDNJ-RMS educational program. Subsequently, more than 40 percent of the early acceptees have enrolled at the UMDNJ-RMS, and this noticeable increase appears to be related directly to the program.     

Predicting academic performance at a predominantly black medical school

A study was conducted by the authors that examined the validity of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), undergraduate grade-point average (GPA), and "competitiveness" of undergraduate college in predicting the performance of students at a predominantly black college of medicine. The performance measures used in the analysis consisted of course grades in all four years of medical school and scores on both Part I and Part II of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) examinations. The predictive validities of the MCAT scores and undergraduate GPAs were found to be similar to those revealed in earlier studies conducted at predominantly white schools. Two exceptions to these similarities were found. First, the MCAT scores at the black school had a somewhat lower validity in predicting NBME examination scores than was the case at the other schools. Second, of the six MCAT subtest scores, Skills Analysis: Reading had the highest correlation with first-year grades, in contrast to results at the other schools. No differences between men and women were found in the validity of MCAT scores and the GPA. The competitiveness of the undergraduate college attended was found to contribute significantly to the prediction of all measures of medical school performance.     

Relationship between past academic performance and results of specialty in-training examinations

In this study, the authors review the records of 63 graduates of Northwestern University Medical School who were residents in its graduate medical education programs of anesthesia and orthopedic surgery. They examine the relationship among college grades, medical school performance, and the results of assessment by annual, nationwide, medical specialty in-training examinations. For the anesthesia group, the best predictors of in-training examination performance were the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) Verbal Ability score, the college grade-point average for nonscience subjects, and the MCAT Science, General Information, and Quantitative Ability scores. For the orthopedic group, the best predictors were the MCAT Verbal Ability score, the college grade-point average in nonscience subjects, the MCAT Science score, and the National Board of Medical Examiners Part I and Part II examination scores. The previous academic records for the 63 residents contained little to presage results in the in-training examination. The correlation obtained between nonscience college subjects and the in-training examination results was negative.     

Use of a medical reasoning aptitude test to help predict performance in medical school

A medical reasoning aptitude test (MRAT) was designed to assess aptitude for clinical problem-solving in medical school applicants. The purpose of the study reported here was to determine whether the information provided by this test, when used in conjunction with college grade-point averages (GPAs) and scores on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), would improve the prediction of medical school performance. Specifically, the authors investigated the incremental predictive value of the MRAT relative to students' overall performance in medical school and, more specifically, to their knowledge and clinical reasoning during preclinical years and clinical performance during the clerkship year. Overall, it was found that, with the exception of the first year, the addition of MRAT scores to the GPAs and MCAT scores increased precision in identifying students who performed poorly or exceptionally well in the second year and the clinical clerkship year. This last finding is especially useful, since few other tests have provided that information. On the basis of the preliminary findings, the authors propose further use and validation of the MRAT.     

Changes in the qualifications of medical school applicants, 1981 to 1985

The decline in the number of medical school applicants has prompted concerns among medical educators regarding the effects of this decrease on the qualifications of the applicant pool. Changes in the qualifications of medical school applicants were analyzed in terms of age, sex, and ethnicity or racial group using two measures of quality: Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores and grade-point averages. The distributions of these measures for 1981 and 1985 applicants were compared. The results showed that there were significant but modest gains over the years in the percentage of men and women applicants who scored from 10 to 15 on the MCAT biology, chemistry, physics, and science problems subtests. There were also significant percentage gains for applicants in all age categories, except applicants over age 32, and for all ethnic or racial groups except blacks. The authors conclude that a variety of sociodemographic, educational, and selection factors may account for these changes.     

Traditional criteria as predictors of minority student success in medical school.

There have been many reports stating that the traditional criteria of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) have little, if any, value in predicting success in the preclinical years of medical school among students from underrepresented (racial and ethnic) minority groups. In contrast to previous articles this report emphasizes that traditional criteria and the quality of the undergraduate college attended are of some statistical value in predicting success in the preclinical years of medical school among accepted students from under represented minority groups. Of these criteria, the one with the greatest predictive value is the selectivity of the undergraduate college attended.     

Predictive validity of the MCAT for students with two sets of scores

Addressed in the study reported here is the question of which set of scores for those students who retake the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) yields a better predictive validity. The sample was comprised of 304 students who retook the MCAT prior to entering Jefferson Medical College between 1978 and 1981. Five sets of MCAT scores were considered as predictors in the study: earlier, later, higher, and lower sets of MCAT scores and the average of the earlier and later scores for each MCAT subtest. Twenty-five criteria were used, including grades earned in the freshman and sophomore years and scores on the subtests of Part I and Part II of the examinations of the National Board of Medical Examiners. Correlational techniques, such as bivariate and multiple correlation analyses and canonical correlation followed by redundancy analysis were utilized. The magnitude of redundancy indices indicated that the set of MCAT scores in which the earlier and later scores were averaged was the best predictor, followed by the earlier, lower, higher, and later sets of MCAT scores. The implications of these findings for the admissions process and for validity studies are discussed.     

History of not completing courses as predictor of academic difficulty among first-year students

The study reported here was undertaken to determine whether the prediction of academic difficulty in the first year of medical school is enhanced by a consideration of the number of courses withdrawn from, repeated courses, and incomplete courses on a student's undergraduate academic record. All students enrolled from 1981 through 1985 at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine who experienced academic difficulty in the first year were selected for the study. Successful students were matched with these students in terms of minority or majority status and served as a control group. Discriminant and classification analyses were performed in a hierarchical stepwise manner to predict success or difficulty in the first year. The variables that were significant in discriminating between minority students who had academic difficulty and those who did not were the science grade-point average (grades in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics), the score on the reading subtest of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and the number of withdrawals from courses. For majority students, the significant discriminating variables were the score on the MCAT biology subtest and the number of incompletes taken for courses. The results of this study have implications for medical school admissions committees, premedical advisers, and premedical students.     

A model for predicting performance on the NBME Part I examination

Multiple regression analyses were employed to determine the relationships between achievement variables as predictors of the performance on Part I of the National Board of Medical Examiners examinations (NBME-I) of 366 medical students. The students' examination score averages in first- and second-year basic science courses were sequentially added to a composite Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score to investigate the increases in prediction accuracy. Four prediction equations were cross validated on two subsequent medical school classes. While the multiple correlation between the predicted NBME-I score and the actual score significantly increased as first- and second-year course examination scores were added to the equations, the overall accuracy in predicting passing or failing did not substantially increase. The most useful equation employed a combination of the MCAT score and the first semester anatomy course examination score. The NBME-I predictions were given by letter to the 1984 and 1985 students approximately a year before they were to take the NBME-I examination so that students at risk of failure could undertake remedial study.     

The new MCAT and medical student performance

The "old" Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) has been replaced by the "new" MCAT. For many years the University of California, Irvine, has included the old MCAT in a prediction index as part of its admissions procedure. The use of the New MCAT has required this index to be recalculated. Since the predictive power of the new MCAT is unknown, it has been necessary to wait until the first class admitted completed its freshman year. This paper is an analysis of the new MCAT and its relationship to the criterion of class standing achieved in the school year ending in the spring of 1979.     

Impact of undergraduate courses on medical student performance in basic sciences

Many students planning to apply to medical school take undergraduate courses (for example, biochemistry, embryology, histology, and vertebrate anatomy) covering concepts that are taught within the medical school curriculum. Do these students perform better in similar courses in medical school than students without prior exposure? In the study reported here of 310 medical students, approximately 50 percent had taken biochemistry, 50 percent had taken a course dealing with vertebrate anatomy, 25 percent had taken embryology, and 25 percent had taken histology as undergraduates. In comparisons of the students with prior exposure to these courses and those without prior exposure, no statistical difference was noted in cumulative grade-point averages for the first year in medical school or in the students' scores in three of the four individual medical courses examined. In addition, there was no significant difference in the academic performances in the four courses between the students in the upper and the lower quartiles of the class. Implications regarding undergraduate preparation of medical school applicants are discussed.     

Correlations between SAT scores and MCAT scores of black students in a summer program

The purpose of the study reported here was to determine the relationship between Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores of black students who had participated in a summer program for minority students interested in health careers held at the Medical College of Georgia. A significant correlation was established between these students' SAT and MCAT scores. These findings suggest that students who are likely to perform well in medical school can be selected for medical school while they are still underclassmen, accepted conditionally, and admitted after completing a prescribed curriculum. Early selection has implications for increasing the number of minority students in medicine and for permitting more liberal arts in the premedical education than the present selection process.     

Predictors of success in an anesthesiology residency

The selection of residents in medical specialty programs is a difficult task facing all selection committees. The present authors examined factors that contribute to successful residency performance by 26 anesthesiology residents in order to assist the program's selection committee in developing selection criteria. The best predictor of a resident's academic average in the anesthesiology program was the number of years the resident had spent in other specialties. Comparison of the residents' scores on the Anesthesiology In-Training Examination (ITE) and their scores on Part I of the examinations of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) showed a statistically significant negative correlation. The higher that residents scored on the NBME Part I examination, the lower they scored on the ITE. No significant correlations were found between the residents' ITE scores and undergraduate grade-point average or nonacademic variables such as the residents' age or parents' level of education. The residents' composite grade-point average (GPA) for the residency and their interview scores had a strong positive relationship significant at the 0.06 level.     

Fifth pathway in New Jersey. House officer preparatory course for US foreign medical graduates.

The Fifth Channel in New Jersey is a Fifth Pathway program for US foreign medical graduates. In its third year, 83 percent of its 81 graduates are house officers at 18 US medical school-affiliated hospitals. Performance as house officers is characterized as competitive with peers, including US graduates. Positive attitudes toward work load, fellow workers, and patients compared with those of fellow house staff are noted. Quality of performance as house officers correlates most strongly with the change in mean scores of two batteries of clinical National Board examinations taken during the Fifth Pathway and less strongly with mean scores of single batteries of National Boards, Intelligence quotient, Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) examination, ang age. Recommendations concerning the implementing of similar programs in other states are presented.     

Comparison of performances of students in programs at LSU Medical School in Shreveport

The purpose of the study reported here was to evaluate the performance of graduates of the accelerated six-year (combined B.S.-M.D. degree) program and compare it with that of graduates following the regular curriculum at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport. Cumulative medical school grade-point averages, scores on the Federation Licensing Examination, and failure rates for the two groups were compared; by these criteria, the six-year graduates performed adequately but not as well as expected from their high school credentials (the basis for their entry into the accelerated program). Advantages and disadvantages of the six-year program are discussed with respect to the students, the medical school, and the undergraduate college of LSU at Shreveport.     

在国外大学生物医学本科生教育中参与实验带教的经验与体会

大学教育在国家创新人才培养体系中占有十分重要的位置,实施本科生科学研究是培养创新人才的一项重要措施。笔者在美国博士后研究期间参加了"德州大学西南医学中心大学生暑期研究计划"实验带教的全过程,通过介绍参加实验带教的感受和体会,结合国内生物医学专业本科生科学研究的实际,深入分析了生物医学本科生参与科研实验的重要性和本科生参与科学研究对创新人才培养的重要意义。     

Effects of sleep disruption on cognitive performance and mood in medical house officers

Twelve medical house officers were tested on a battery of memory, concentration, and work related tasks after three conditions: a night spent off duty; a night spent on call; and a night spent admitting emergency cases. Short term recall, but not digit span, concentration, or work related abilities, was impaired after a night of emergency admissions. A night spent on call had no effect on cognitive performance. Self reported mood scores showed that house officers were more deactivated (indicating a lack of vigour and drive) after nights of emergency admissions but not after nights on call. Significant between subject differences were found for five of the eight cognitive tests. Though loss of sleep and long hours of work have an effect on memory and mood, the individual differences among doctors are the main source of the variance in performance of tasks.     

父母教育方式与医学生心理健康的关系

①目的探讨父母教育方式与医学生心理健康的关系。②方法使用自制一般情况调查表、症状自评量表(SCL-90)、父母教育方式评价量表(EMBU),对华北煤炭医学院大学一年级临床系5个班的学生共206人进行测查。③结果症状自评量表筛查出有心理问题者42人,占总数的20.39%。相关分析中,SCL-90总分及各项因子分与父母教养方式中的父亲惩罚严厉,过分干涉,过度保护,拒绝否认,偏爱各项及母亲干涉保护,拒绝否认,惩罚严厉,偏爱各项呈正相关。父母亲温暖理解与SCL-90总分及各项因子分均呈负相关。④结论父母教育方式与医学生心理健康密切相关。     

沈阳医学院大学生体质健康状况动态分析

目的了解沈阳医学院大学生体质健康状况动态变化,为进一步开展高校体育课教学改革提供科学依据。方法采用XTC-GF系列体质健康测量仪,对2004级在校大学生进行身体形态、机能、素质测试。结果沈医大三学生身高、体重、握力等指标男女均高于全国平均水平(P<0.001);男生肺活量高于全国平均水平(P<0.001);立定跳远男女均低于全国平均水平(P<0.001)。大三学生各项指标动态分析发现,女生体重、肺活量、立定跳远和握力均低于大一时水平(P<0.001)。大三男生体质变化不明显。结论沈医大学生身体发育总体水平好于全国平均水平。动态分析表明,大三女生体质健康总体水平显著下降。提示应加强在校大学生的身体素质,尤其注重女大学生的体育锻炼,合理安排体育课程,全面提高大学生的综合身体素质。