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Medical School Prerequisite Courses Completed at Two-Year Colleges by Medical School Matriculants: An Analysis at the University of Central Florida

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Date Issued:
2012
Abstract/Description:
Many medical school admissions personnel and pre-health advisors advise premedical students not to take the medical school prerequisite courses at two-year colleges because they believe the courses are less academically rigorous than the same courses at four-year institutions (Losada, 2009; Marie, 2009; Thurlow, 2008, 2009a, 2009b). According to this belief, premedical students who complete the medical school prerequisite courses at a two-year college could be at a disadvantage in regard to medical school admission compared to those students who complete the medical school prerequisite courses at a four-year institution. In an effort to analyze these perceptions, this study examined factors pertaining to the enrollment of premedical students in the medical school prerequisite courses at two-year colleges. This research study examined the enrollment statuses and grades of matriculants to medical school from the University of Central Florida between 2007 and 2011. Specifically, the type of student enrollment of the matriculants who completed any of the medical school prerequisite courses at a two-year college was examined, and both their type of institutional enrollment and grades in the organic chemistry courses were also examined. The results indicated that there were significant differences in types of student enrollment in most medical school prerequisite courses at two-year colleges, and based on these differences, the researcher identified whether completing certain prerequisite courses as certain types of enrollment were either (")more acceptable(") or (")less acceptable(") for premedical students. In addition, the results indicated that there were not significant differences in organic chemistry grades based on the type of institution where the courses were taken. Based on these results, the researcher could not categorize the courses at either type of institution as (")more rigorous(") or (")less rigorous(") than the other, but the researcher also recommends that these results should be perceived cautiously until additional, more in-depth research can be conducted on this topic. Finally, recommendations and implications for premedical students, pre-health advisors, medical school admissions personnel, two-year colleges, and four-year institutions were discussed.
Title: Medical School Prerequisite Courses Completed at Two-Year Colleges by Medical School Matriculants: An Analysis at the University of Central Florida.
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Name(s): Myszkowski, Erin, Author
Cintron Delgado, Rosa, Committee Chair
Boyd, Tammy, Committee Member
Owens, James, Committee Member
Dorman, Teresa, Committee Member
Szentmiklosi, Jillian, Committee Member
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2012
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Many medical school admissions personnel and pre-health advisors advise premedical students not to take the medical school prerequisite courses at two-year colleges because they believe the courses are less academically rigorous than the same courses at four-year institutions (Losada, 2009; Marie, 2009; Thurlow, 2008, 2009a, 2009b). According to this belief, premedical students who complete the medical school prerequisite courses at a two-year college could be at a disadvantage in regard to medical school admission compared to those students who complete the medical school prerequisite courses at a four-year institution. In an effort to analyze these perceptions, this study examined factors pertaining to the enrollment of premedical students in the medical school prerequisite courses at two-year colleges. This research study examined the enrollment statuses and grades of matriculants to medical school from the University of Central Florida between 2007 and 2011. Specifically, the type of student enrollment of the matriculants who completed any of the medical school prerequisite courses at a two-year college was examined, and both their type of institutional enrollment and grades in the organic chemistry courses were also examined. The results indicated that there were significant differences in types of student enrollment in most medical school prerequisite courses at two-year colleges, and based on these differences, the researcher identified whether completing certain prerequisite courses as certain types of enrollment were either (")more acceptable(") or (")less acceptable(") for premedical students. In addition, the results indicated that there were not significant differences in organic chemistry grades based on the type of institution where the courses were taken. Based on these results, the researcher could not categorize the courses at either type of institution as (")more rigorous(") or (")less rigorous(") than the other, but the researcher also recommends that these results should be perceived cautiously until additional, more in-depth research can be conducted on this topic. Finally, recommendations and implications for premedical students, pre-health advisors, medical school admissions personnel, two-year colleges, and four-year institutions were discussed.
Identifier: CFE0004579 (IID), ucf:49211 (fedora)
Note(s): 2012-12-01
Ed.D.
Education, Teaching, Learning and Leadership
Doctoral
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): premedical -- pre-health -- advisors -- students -- medical school -- prerequisite courses -- two-year colleges
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004579
Restrictions on Access: public 2012-12-15
Host Institution: UCF

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