Abstract Review Exercise
Comparing Achievement in College Courses Required for Medical School between Minority and Nonminority Students.
INTRODUCTION
Increasing the enrollment of students from underrepresented groups in medical schools continues to be
a challenge. Recent data (Smith, Jackson & Jones, 2011) showed that only 7% percnt of physicians are
minority whereas this proportion is 25% in the US population overall. Pipeline programs are designed to
improve diversity in medical schools. This study focused on the academic performance of
underrepresented (UR) students on courses that are required for applying to medical school (“gateway
courses”).
METHOD
Using regression analysis, we analyzed academic performance of 5,000 college students in three
California colleges who matriculated in the 2009–2010 or 2010–2011 academic year. We compared
grade performance of students across ethnic groups in gateway courses and the degree in which they
completed at least four gateway courses, using regression methods to control for students’ college
admission test scores. Statistical significance was set at 0.05.
RESULTS
Gateway courses included Biology, Organic Chemistry, Calculus and Physics. Calculating the GPA for
these courses, we found that on average, the GPA was lower for UR students compared to non-UR
students (p<.05). This gap could not be explained by differences in prior academic performance.
However, no statistically significant differences were found in the rate in which UR students completed
at least four gateway courses compared to white students. However, after accounting for the lower
grades of UR students in their initial classes, UR students were more likely than non-URM students to
complete four or more gateway courses (p<.01).
DISCUSSION
Scores in Gateway courses were statistically lower for UR students compared to white students.
However, they completed four or more of these courses at the same rate. Our study clearly shows that
academic support for UR students in college targeting gateway courses is crucial for increasing the
diversity in medical schools.
Word count: 295
Based on: Alexander C, Chen E, Grumbach K. How Leaky is the Health Career Pipeline? Minority Student Achievement in College Gateway
Courses. Academic Medicine. 2009;84:797-802.
EXAMPLE 1B (annotated)
Comparing Achievement in College Courses Required for Medical School between Minority and Nonminority Students.
INTRODUCTION
Increasing the enrollment of students from underrepresented groups in medical schools continues to be
a challenge. Recent data (Smith, Jackson & Jones, 2011) showed that only 7% percnt of physicians are
minority whereas this proportion is 25% in the US population overall. Pipeline programs are designed to
improve diversity in medical schools. This study focused on the academic performance of
underrepresented (UR) students on courses that are required for applying to medical school (“gateway
courses”).
METHOD
Using regression analysis, we analyzed academic performance of 5,000 college students in three
California colleges who matriculated in the 2009–2010 or 2010–2011 academic year. We compared
grade performance of students across ethnic groups in gateway courses and the degree in which they
completed at least four gateway courses, using regression methods to control for students’ college
admission test scores. Statistical significance was set at 0.05.
RESULTS
Gateway courses included Biology, Organic Chemistry, Calculus and Physics. Calculating the GPA for
these courses, we found that on average, the GPA was lower for UR students compared to non-UR
students (p<.05). This gap could not be explained by differences in prior academic performance.
However, no statistically significant differences were found in the rate in which UR students completed
at least four gateway courses compared to white students. However, after accounting for the lower
grades of UR students in their initial classes, UR students were more likely than non-URM students to
complete four or more gateway courses (p<.01).
DISCUSSION
Scores in Gateway courses were statistically lower for UR students compared to white students.
However, they completed four or more of these courses at the same rate. Our study clearly shows that
academic support for UR students in college targeting gateway courses is crucial for increasing the
diversity in medical schools.
Word count: 295
Based on: Alexander C, Chen E, Grumbach K. How Leaky is the Health Career Pipeline? Minority Student Achievement in College Gateway
Courses. Academic Medicine. 2009;84:797-802.
Feedback to Abstract Authors
The authors have addressed an important topic that can provide guidance to medical schools about
gateway courses and performance of students from under-represented backgrounds. I have several
suggestions that could improve the abstract to convince the audience that this study is making an
important contribution. The introduction mixes pipeline programs and gateway courses making the
reader uncertain as to the focus of the study. Stating the actual research question study would clarify
this and make it easy to follow the rest of the abstract. The methods should define gateway courses
(this currently is misplaced in the results) and also how they used ethnicity. The results introduced UR
(not defined) and non-UR students; this status should have been clarified in the methods. Results
should provide the actual data rather than just the p value. For example, how much of a GPA difference
was there between students from a UR and non-UR background? I found that the discussion repeated
the results and I had hoped the authors would focus on the meaning and implication of their study.
A reference was included and since references generally are not required, the authors may have used
the words to expand their introduction. Also, there was a typographical error “percnt” which should
have been caught in the review prior to submission.