Assessing USAFA's Effectiveness in Preparing Graduates for the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine (USUHS-SOM)
Abstract
Between 1976 and 1998, 580 USAFA (USAFA) graduates have gone to medical school as their initial assignment (USAFA Institutional Research, 1998). The AF sends approximately 20 cadets annually to medical, dental, and nursing schools and spends 4 to 5 million dollars on scholarships yet there was little feedback to the Academy on how their graduates faired in medical school verses national pre-medicine programs. How did USAFA graduates do in medical school? This retrospective descriptive study, which defined specific characteristics of Academy graduates, went on to answer the following: 1. Was there a difference in the performance of Academy graduates versus non-Academy graduates in medical school? and 2. Were Academy selection requirements good predictors of the performance of Academy graduates in medical school? This study concludes that based on the population, there were some differences between the Academy cohort and all other medical students at the USUHS-SOM. The Academy graduates have an average medical school graduation GPA of 3.11 out of 4.0; that is slightly higher than all other graduates 3.01 out of 4.0, but is not statistically significant. Over 23 years, the Academy graduates had slightly lower premedical GPAs than non-Academy matriculants. However, the Academy matriculants were less likely to have delayed graduation (more than 4 years) and had a tendency not to experience academic difficulty (statistically significant). Secondly, the selection requirements were good predictors of performance for Academy graduates. Out of the 12 variables studied, undergraduate science GPA was the strongest predictor of success in medical school. Despite not having a premed program at the Academy, the graduates who on to USHUS-Som are well-prepared.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 30, 2002
- Accession Number
- AD1199862
Entities
People
- Lourdes M. Rivera