RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: A mandatory remedial programme for students who repeat their first semester at medical school has resulted in large gains in academic performance and greatly reduced attrition. Here, we explore the students' views of this in order to clarify understanding of optimal remediation practice. METHODS: Using a mixed-methods approach, quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from student surveys (n=333) and three in-depth focus groups. Results were analysed for emergent themes. RESULTS: Remedial programmes for at-risk medical students should be mandatory, but should respect students' identity as repeaters. Attitude and motivation are key, and working in stable groups provides essential emotional and cognitive support. The learning environment needs to foster changes in students' ways of thinking and their development as flexible, reflective learners. These endeavours require support from honest teachers with rigorous expectations and good facilitation skills. CONCLUSIONS: Successful remediation needs to challenge students' conceptions of learning, works best in groups with skilled facilitators, and must take into account a blend of cognitive and affective factors and the complex interplay between learner and environment. Given a carefully designed programme, at-risk medical students can learn to make effective and lasting changes to their approach to study, and their views of learning can come to converge with influential ideas in the education literature.
Assuntos
Educação de Graduação em Medicina/normas , Ensino de Recuperação/métodos , Estudantes de Medicina/psicologia , Atitude , Grupos Focais , Humanos , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Many medical schools provide academic support programmes to aid increasing numbers of students from diverse backgrounds. There have been calls for research into successful intervention programmes, and for detailed descriptions of how they work. AIMS: To explore the efficacy of a mandatory intervention programme for at-risk medical students. METHOD: Students who failed and then repeated first semester were required to participate in a cognitive skills programme, following a syllabus based on principles drawn from both educational experience and multi-disciplinary theory and practice. Performance of programme participants was compared to the performance of students who repeated prior to the mandatory programme. RESULTS: Of the participants (n = 216), 91% passed their repeat semester, compared to 58% (n = 715) for controls (p < 0.0001). This significant effect persisted for progression through the school for the subsequent three semesters (p < 0.0005). CONCLUSION: A mandatory programme that draws on a blend of theories and research-proven techniques can make a positive difference to the outcomes for at-risk medical students.