Abstract:

This presentation proposes to introduce the methodology and outcomes of a pre-entry medical school program for underrepresented student populations. The Prematriculation Reinforcement and Enrichment Program (PREP) is an intensive six-week summer program held on the campus of the University of Texas Medical Branch. It provides a maximum of sixty students who have been accepted into medical school at UTMB with an academic, enrichment educational experience that enhances their academic preparedness for medical school.

Accepted students participate in four well-designed, condensed first year medical school courses: Anatomy and Radiology, Molecules Cells and Tissues, Pathobiology, and Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences. Students are introduced to lectures, the gross anatomy lab and problem-based learning. They become familiarized with medical school faculty and are introduced to the mental and physical discipline required to succeed in medical school. They receive a realistic exposure of the expectations of medical school, are presented with the opportunity to network with other current students, new incoming students and are able to adjust to the healthcare environment and the surrounding community. Many PREP students participated in UTMB’s undergraduate pipeline programs, such as the Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP) and the state supported Joint Admissions Medical Program (JAMP). The majority of the PREP students are financially disadvantaged and from underrepresented student populations.

In the past nineteen years over 1,140 students completed PREP. This presentation will include discussion of the outcomes of student evaluations that indicate that participants benefitted greatly from the exposure that PREP provided and went beyond academic success. Additional comments suggest that their introduction to the first year medical school courses allowed them to modify their study skills for each specific course. Many felt that being on the campus of UTMB and meeting future classmates removed the apprehension they would have felt entering medical school the first day. Many of the PREP students become class leaders. PREP prepares students academically for medical school and provides them the opportunity to adjust to the medical school environment. The combination of the undergraduate pipeline programs and PREP is an innovative method of preparing students for success in medical school.

Keywords:

Prematriculation program, medical school enrichment program, medical school preparatory program, pre-entry medical school program.