Academic stress is one of the primary factors threatening university students' well-being and performance. Undergraduate students who are working toward applying to medical school, defined as being on the premedicine or "premed" pathway, are suspected to have higher academic stress compared to their peers who are not premed. However,…

The purpose of the study was to better understand how students at the beginning of a premed curriculum are different from their science peers on career-related variables. A total of 165 undergraduates were classified into three groups; these were premed students, students with the intent to pursue a graduate degree, and students with the intent to…

The current study was undertaken to examine the effectiveness of the Rowan University-School of Osteopathic Medicine - Summer Pre-Medical Research and Education Program (Summer PREP), a postsecondary medical sciences enrichment pipeline program for under-represented and disadvantaged students. Thirty-four former program participants were surveyed…

Student learning may be classified according to the sensory modalities by which one prefers to take in information. One such classification scheme uses the VARK instrument, which categorizes learning preferences as visual (V), auditory (A), reading-writing (R), or kinesthetic (K). Many students have a single, strong preferences…

Purpose: To assess outcomes of the first 6 years of a program designed to facilitate medical school admission for rural premedical students. Methods: Students completing the University of Louisville School of Medicine Trover Rural Scholar program were surveyed using a 23-item survey. Findings: Twenty-two of the 24 (92%) students responded.…

Medical-career aspirations prior to college are examined in longitudinal data (N=27,065; 59.1% female). Men and women aspire to medical careers at roughly the same rate and for mostly the same reasons, but the strength of influence varies significantly for certain factors. Fewer women maintain medical-career aspirations during college. (Author/EMK)

The University of Utah School of Medicine offers a supplemental undergraduate Seniors Honors Program in Surgery. The goals of the program have been to allow students to make more informed career choices, obtain positions in competitive residency programs, and a head start in postgraduate surgical training. (MLW)

Faculty members and students of 13 undergraduate colleges in South Carolina were surveyed to learn whether the "premedical syndrome" existed. Premedical students were perceived as being excessively competitive, academically overspecialized, overachieving, more highly motivated, more highly self-disciplined, goal-oriented, and proud of…

History and philosophy of integrated premedical-medical programs leading to a combined undergraduate-medical degree in 6-8 years are reviewed, and student performance data are cited. It is concluded that university-affiliated medical schools might consider establishing such programs to articulate curricula better and provide access for students…

A national sample of 337 college students who initially aspired to be physicians were studied for 9 years to determine the influence of precollege characteristics, college origins, and the academic and social experience of college on the likelihood of becoming a physician. Estimates of a 14-variable causal model indicated that the major direct…

A study comparing Type A behaviors in premedical college students, non-premedical science majors, and other students found that premedical students were no more likely to exhibit Type A behaviors than those aspiring to doctorate-level training in nonmedical fields, but did find some gender differences and behavior changes over time. (MSE)

A method for classifying students according to the breadth of their premedical preparation is presented, and medical school performances and career plans of students thus classified are compared. Grouping is according to undergraduate major, nonscience-to-science course hour ratio, and extracurricular involvement. The method is found useful for…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a 3-year, federally supported project at the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) to improve the retention of African-American students in undergraduate premedical programs by developing an improved personal and social support system for black students interested in the health…

(Purpose) This report summarizes a synthesis of the literature related to the evidence, initiatives and approaches to rural/northern medical education, particularly its role in strengthening the medical workforce in rural areas. (Methodology) A literature review was conducted involving the literature databases MEDLINE (January 1990-March 2003),…