Effects of a summer preview program of study skills and basic science topics on the academic performance of minority students

A summer preview program was designed to enhance the academic performance of minority students in medical school. In the five-week program the students met from 8:00 AM to noon, five days a week. The two components of the program were study skills and selected basic science topics deemed critical for success in the first year.This paper is an analysis of three years (1980 to 1982 inclusive) of the program. Only three of the 14 participating minority students failed to complete the requirements of the first year of the curriculum. In contrast, nine of the 11 nonparticipating minority students did not complete the requirements for the first year. The conclusion is that the program can enhance the academic performance of minority students in the first year of the medical school curriculum.