Article 5:
Integrating Learning Strategies and Skills into a Summer Academic Enrichment Preparatory Program for Medical and Dental School Students
by Paula N. O’Neill, MEd, EdD,
The University of Texas Dental Branch and Medical School at Houston

The University of Texas Dental Branch and Medical School at Houston are recipients of a four year grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP) that began in the summer of 2006.  The UTHSC-H SMDEP is a free (tuition, meals, housing) six week preparatory program offering eligible students intense exposure to a core curriculum, clinical dentistry and medicine, and career counseling for students who aspire to gain admittance to dental or medical school. Eligibility for selection as an SMDEP Scholar includes:

• current enrollment as a freshman or sophomore in college;
• have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0, with 2.75 in the sciences;
• be a U.S. citizen or hold a permanent resident visa;
• not have participated in SMDEP previously;
• has a combined verbal and math SAT score of at least 950 or ACT score of at least 20;
• identifies with a group that is racially/ethnically underrepresented in medicine and dentistry (as defined independently by each program site);
• comes from an economically or educationally disadvantaged background; and
• has demonstrated interest in issues affecting underserved populations.

Eighty students participate each summer -- 20 pre-dental and 60 pre-medical.

Enrichment courses in organic chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and pre-calculus and calculus and lab experience in the human anatomy facility at the medical school are offered through regularly scheduled courses during the six-week experience.

Particular emphasis is placed on developing high level learning strategies to become a successful applicant for dental or medical school. The course focuses on reading, implementing strategies to improve study habits, and note-taking strategies. Test-taking skills, time management, and use of information resources (library and Web) are also covered. As a part of the orientation process to the program, students take the web-based LASSI as both a pre and finally, as a posttest. Pretest results on the 10 scales including Attitude, Motivation, Time Management, Anxiety, Concentration, Information Processing, Selecting the Main Idea, Study Aids, Self-testing, and Test Strategies are presented to the students in a large group setting using aggregate data as a starting point within two days of the pretest. The results are used to help the students gain an overall understanding of their study needs.  

As a formal part of the curriculum a Study Skills Course is also presented to the students. Each year the course, presented by three faculty who are highly experienced in teaching study skills and assisting students to reach academic goals, is based upon the results of the LASSI. Each student is expected to set personal goals based upon his or her individual LASSI scores, discuss those goals with SMDEP tutors, and then set forth a course of action to help themselves achieve the goals supported by information gained from the study skills course over the course of the six week program.

Aggregate LASSI results are also revealed to the core course faculty to enable them to assist students in studying for each of their courses. Specific teaching strategies are tied to various learning needs and issues to enhance study skills and manage attitudinal issues related to studying.

Results from the three year administration of the LASSI indicate that on the pre-test more than 50% of the 80 students enrolled each year need assistance in "managing attitudinal issues related to studying," 45% need assistance in "developing better test-taking skills"; and approximately 35% need better time management skills. On the LASSI posttest, there are far fewer students needing this assistance, and their academic success based upon the core course pre and posttest results indicate that more focused studying increases academic performance.

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