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ANN A R B O R . Ml 4 8 1 0 6 IB B E D F O R D ROW. LONDON WC1R 4 E J . E N G L A N D 7907313 COLE* DARNELL EUGENE A THENO ANALYSIS OF ACAOEN1C MEASURES OF MINORITY MATRICULANTS* MICHIGAN STATE U N IV E R S IT Y * COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC M E D I C I N E * 1 9 7 4 * 1 9 7 5 , AND 197b ENTERING CLASSES. MICHIGAN STATE U N I V E R S I T Y * Unherattv Micrdrlms International nt»«oAu, *** aubow.m.«nc» P H .D .* 197B A TREND ANALYSIS OF ACADEMIC MEASURES OF MINORITY MATRICULANTS: MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE, 1974, 1975, AND 1976 ENTERING CLASSES By Darnell Eugene Cole A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in p a r t i a l fu lfillm e n t of the requirements f o r the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department o f Administration and Higher Education 1978 ABSTRACT A TREND ANALYSIS OF ACADEMIC MEASURES OF MINORITY MATRICULANTS: MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY* COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE, 1974, 197$, AND 1976 ENTERING CLASSES By Darnell Eugene Cole This study Investigate d the r ela tionship between academic and demographic p re d ic to r variables and the performance of minority matriculants to Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSU-COM). The sample Included 50 su b je c ts , of whom 18 (12 males and 6 females) were admitted 1n 1974, 17 (11 males and 6 females) 1n 1975, and 15 (13 males and 2 females) 1n 1976. The ethnic breakdown of th e sample consisted of 34 Blacks, 13 Chlcanos, and 3 American Indians, and I t s age range was 20 to 43. There were 30 s in g l e and 20 married subjects. The data fo r th e study were collected from MSU-COM's Minority Support Program (MSP) yearly reports and academic folders of the subjects. Information was analyzed for th e I d e n t i f i c a t i o n of p r e d ic to r variables and the performance of minority matricu­ lants 1n MSU-COM. Trend analysis was used to determine i f there was a s i g n i f i c a n t trend in the means o f the variables addressed, e i th e r an increase o r a decrease. This analysis showed an Increase D a r n e l l Eugene C o le only 1n the means of MCAT-sc1ence and MCAT-verbal scores of the years t e s te d . The chi square t e s t was employed to compare c h a r a c t e r i s ­ t i c s of students on academic probation (AP) and students not on academic probation. This t e s t also revealed the re la tio n sh ip between the variables and the percentage of courses taken which were passed (PP). Since whether a student 1s on academic probation depends on the percentage o f courses passed, these varia bles applied to a l l subjects 1n the sample. Discriminant analysis was u t i l i z e d to Identify p red ic to r varia bles. The analysis I d e n tif ie d the Medical School Application Test (MCAT)-sclence score and undergraduate grade point average (GAP) as the best predictor variables of minority matriculants 1n the sample. Analysis of the data 1n r e la tio n to study hypotheses resu lted in the following findings: 1. There was a nonsignificant relationsh ip between socio­ economic background and success in medical school and parental edu­ cation and success in medical school. (Because o f lack of av ailable d a ta , these r e s u l t s are based on the Student National Medical Asso­ c ia ti o n and American Association of Medical Colleges study, 1974). 2. and; There was a nonsignificant r ela tionship between AP and PP size and location of undergraduate college, marital s t a t u s , sex, undergraduate major, and graduate work. 3. There was a nonsignificant r ela tio n sh ip between e t h n i c i t y and PP and a s ig n i f i c a n t r e la tio n s h i p with AP. D a r n e l l Eugene C ole Based on these findings, 1t was recomnended th a t more subsidy programs lik e the Minority Support Program be I n s t i t u t e d to promote recruitment and retention of minority students in medical schools; t h a t admissions conmlttee members be more representative of ethnic groups; and t h a t medical schools employ the early admission process so as not to lose q u ality minority applicants to other medical schools. To n\y parents, Laura and William, I dedicate t h i s d i s s e r t a t i o n . 11 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My parents have always believed people are generally good. The cooperation received from my committee, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, family, and many others In the com­ pletion of my d i s s e r t a t i o n have confirmed t h i s b e l i e f . Words could never express my g r a titu d e for t h e i r time and consideration. 111 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................ v11 LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................ X Chapter I. II. III. INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ......................... 1 Introduction and Background of the Problem ................ The P roblem ................................................................................ Focus of the S t u d y ................................................................ Study Purpose and Methodology ............................................ Limitations of the Study .................................................... Definition of Terms ................................................................ Outline of the S t u d y ............................................................ 1 5 8 9 11 12 12 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND MSU-COM's MINORITY SUPPORT PROGRAM ..................................................... 14 Introduction ............................................................................ Recruitment and Admissions ................................................ The Issue o f "Reverse Discrimination" ......................... Relevance o f Cognitive Variables ................................. Class Size and Admissions S t a t i s t i c s ......................... Status of Recruitment Efforts ......................................... Recruitment Advice to Minority Students ................ . R e t e n t i o n ..................................................................................... P r i o r i t i e s 1n the P r o c e s s ................................................ Efforts to Control A t t r i t i o n ......................................... The Dilemma of Financial A i d ......................................... MSU-COM: A Case Study 1n Success ..................................... MSU-COM's History ................................................................. MSU-COM and Affirmative Action ..................................... The Minority Support Program (MSP) ............................. Program Successes and Areas for Improvement . . . . 14 16 16 17 19 23 23 24 24 25 27 29 29 30 31 39 STUDY DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ................................................ 42 Study Design ............................................................................. Sample S e l e c t i o n .................... Measures o f Academic Performance (AP and PP) . . . . 42 43 46 1v Page C h ap ter Analysis Procedures . . Chi-Square ................ Discriminant Analysis Trend Analysis . . . Summary ........................ IV. V. ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS 50 50 51 54 56 57 Introduction............. ....................... . ................................ Original StudyHypotheses . . . . .................................. Trend A n a l y s i s ................... . . ................................ Entering C h a ra cte ristic s of M1rior1ty Matriculants Chi-Square Analysis of Performance Variables . . . Discriminant Analysis ................ ... ................................ Summary............................................ . ................................... 57 58 62 63 69 83 85 SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ........................ 87 Summary Discussion ........................................................ Conclusions ........................................................................ Socioeconomic Background ........................................ Undergraduate College ................................................ O ver-all, Undergraduate Science, and Nonscience GPA................................................................................ Marital Status ............................................................ S e x .................................................................... Ethnicity ........................................................ Undergraduate Major and Graduate Work . Parental Education ................ . . . . . MCAT-Verbal, General, Quantitative, and Science Scores ........................................ Recommendations ............................ . . . . . Implications for Further Research . . . . 87 90 90 90 91 91 91 92 92 93 93 93 94 APPENDICES A. THE BAKKE CASE AND REVERSE DISCRIMINATION 95 B. STATEMENT BY THE BLACK FACULTY AND!ADMINISTRATORS ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY CONCERN­ ING THE ALAN BAKKE vs. THE BOARD|0F REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA CASE ............................ 98 C hapter C. Page MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE: ADMISSIONS CRITERIA AND PROCESS AND CURRICULUM GUIDE ............................................................. 100 MSU-COM: ................................. 106 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................ 108 D. SAMPLE RECRUITMENT LETTERS vl LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Page Minority Applications to U.S. Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, 1975-1977 ................................................................. 20 Minority Composition of Freshman Class a t U.S. Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, 1974-1977 .................................... 20 Minority Enrollment (by Ethnic Breakdown) 1n U.S. Colleges o f Osteopathic Medicine, 1974-1977 ................ 21 Significant Data on Applications o f Candidates Applying f o r Admission to Class Beginning 1978 (U.S. Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine) ........................ 22 Michigan I n s t itu t io n s Visited by MSU-COM for Recruitment Purposes, 1975, 1976, 1977 ............................. 34 Frequency of Recruitment V isits Made by MSU-COM to Michigan I n s t i t u t i o n s , 1975, 1976, 1977 35 7. MSU-COM Major1ty-M1nor1ty Enrollment, 1971-1976 . . . . 36 8. Ethnic Enrollment Breakdown, MSU-COM, 1971-1975 . . . . 36 9. Minorities Applying Versus Minorities Admitted to MSU-COM, 1974-1977 ..................................................................... 37 10. MSU-COM Faculty Appointments, Full and Part Time . . . . 41 11. The Sample by Ethnic Breakdown, 1974, 1975, 1976 44 12. Age S t a t i s t i c s for Minority M atriculants, 1974, 1975, 1976 ................................................ 45 13. Minority Residency S ta tu s , 1974, 1975, 1976 45 14. Percentage o f Terms on Academic Probation (AP) ................ 48 15. Percentage o f Courses Passed ( P P ) ......................................... 49 16. Results of Discriminant Analysis o f Percentage o f Terms on Academic Probation (AP) ..................................................... 53 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. vl 1 . . . . Table Page 17. Trend Analysis: Science 6PA, 1974, 1975, 1976 ................. 54 18. Trend Analysis: MCAT-Sclence Score Mean, 1974, 1975, 1976 ................................................................................................ 55 19. AP by Location of Undergraduate College Attended . . . . 60 20. AP by Size o f Undergraduate College ..................................... 61 21. PP by Size of Undergraduate College ...................................... 61 22. Analysis of Variance o f Undergraduate Science 6PA . . . 63 23. U.6. Science Mean by Y e a r ......................................................... 63 24. Analysis of Variance of U.G. Nonscience GPA ..................... 64 25. U.G. Nonscience Mean by Y e a r ..................................................... 64 26. Analysis of Variance of U.G. Over-all GPA ......................... 65 27. U.G. GPA Mean by Y e a r ................................................................. 65 28. Analysis of Variance of MCAT-Verbal ..................................... 66 29. MCAT-Verbal Mean by Y e a r ............................................................. 66 30. Analysis of Variance o f MCAT-Quant1tative ......................... 67 31. MCAT-Quant1tat1ve by Y e a r ......................................................... 67 32. Analysis of Variance of MCAT-Sclence ..................................... 68 33. MCAT-Sclence by Y e a r ..................................................................... 68 34. PP by Y e a r .......................................................................................... 69 35. AP by Y e a r ......................................................................................... 70 36. AP by Marital S t a t u s ..................................................................... 71 37. PP by Marital S t a t u s ...................................................................... 72 38. AP by S e x ......................................................................................... 73 39. PP by S e x .......................................................................................... 74 40. 75 AP by Location of U.G. College ................................................. v iii Table Page 41. PP by Location of U.G. College .................................................. 76 42. PP by E t h n i c i t y ............................................................................. 77 43. AP by E t h n i c i t y .............................................................................. 78 44. AP by U.G. Major .............................................................................. 80 45. PP by U.G. M a j o r .............................................................................. 80 46. AP by Graduate W o r k ...................................................................... 81 47. PP by Graduate W o r k ...................................................................... 82 48. Results o f the Discriminant Analysis: AP ............................. 84 49. Differences 1n Means Between Groups.. ......................... . . . 95 1x LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Curvilinear Trend ....................................................................... 55 2. Linear T r e n d ................................................................................... 56 x CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Introduction and Background of the Problem We observe and emphasize 1n t h i s connection t h a t the University Is not required to choose between a r a c i a l l y neutral admission standard applied s t r i c t l y according to grade point averages and t e s t scores, and a standard which accords preference to m in orities because o f t h e i r race. In ad dition, the University may properly, as 1t 1n f a c t does, consider other factors 1n evaluating an applicant, such as the personal Interview, recommendations, cha ra cte r, and matters r e l a t i n g to the needs of the profession and s o c ie ty , such as an a p p l ic a n t's professional goals. In s h o r t, the standards for admission employed by the University are not c o n s titu t io n a ll y infirm except to the extent t h a t they are u t i l i z e d 1n a r a c i a l l y discriminatory manner. Dis­ advantaged applicants of a l l races must be e l i g i b l e f o r sym­ p ath etic consideration, and no applicant may be rejected because of his race, 1n favor of another who Is le ss q u a l i­ f i e d , as measured by standards applied without regards to race. We r e i t e r a t e , in view of the d i s s e n t ' s m is in te rp reta­ tio n , t h a t we do not compel the University to u t i l i z e only "the highest objective academic c r e d e n tia ls" as the c r i t e r i o n for admission (ABA National I n s t i t u t e on Equal Opportunity Law 1n Higher Education, James Wilson—Senior Assistant Attorney General, State of Washington).* The above quotation delivered by the majority opinion 1n the Bakke v. Board of Regents, University o f C alifo rnia case (1976) points to the major issue underlying the focus of t h i s d i s s e r t a t i o n : t h a t 1t 1s time for the detrimental e f f e c t s o f r a c i a l discrimination 1n the area of higher education to be r e c t i f i e d and a new d ir e c tio n 1n comnltment adopted. In deciding against Alan Bakke's charge t h a t *See Appendix A f o r a f u r t h e r discussion of t h i s case. 1 2 he as a white man had been discriminated against 1n the admissions process a t the University of C a l if o r n i a 's School of Medicine because he had been reje cte d on the basis of race In favor of the acceptance o f minority applicants less q u a lifie d than he, the California court system was s t r i k i n g a progressive blow for minority educational a sp ira tio n s and poten tial 1n t h i s nation—p a r t i c u l a r l y 1n the f i e l d of medicine. I t 1s no s e c r e t th a t 1n applicant pools a t the university l e v e l—e s p e c ia lly a t professional and graduate school—minorities* h i s t o r i c a l l y have been underrepresented. The reasons for th is s i t u a t i o n are many and div erse, but a l l find t h e i r e s s e n tia l focus 1n the f a c t t h a t equal opportunity has been afforded primarily to the members of the majority (Neltzes & Elkhanlaly, 1976). The r e s u l t has been the minority group member's I n a b i l i t y to secure for himself the f r u i t s o f educational tr a in i n g and i t s r e s u lt a n t employ­ ment options. The e f f e c t s o f such Inequity are p a r t i c u l a r l y notable 1n the f i e l d of medicine. (Although 15 percent of the United States population 1s composed of Black, Mexican, and Native Americans, le ss than 3 percent of United States physicians are members of these groups [Wharton, 1970]). Currently, 1n the wake o f Congressional studies of the f e a s i ­ b i l i t y of National Health Insurance, there has been some Intense *The term "minority" 1s used throughout t h i s d i s s e r t a t i o n to r e f e r to Black, Spanish-speaking (Mexican), and Native Americans as a group. However, because the research l i t e r a t u r e on the l a t t e r two groups 1s so scarce, information on Black Americans will usually serve as the reference point. 3 c r i ti c is m of the health care delivery system 1n America (Yerby, 1966). A segment of t h a t c r i t i c i s m has stre s se d the deplorable lack of adequate health care available t o the poor and to minority groups, both 1n rural and urban areas. And th a t lack of care 1s c l e a r ly r e la te d to the admissions procedures In the n a t i o n 's medi­ cal schools. There 1s a great need f o r physicians 1n minority communities—and, preferably, physicians who are themselves minority group members attuned to the cultural backgrounds and unique needs of t h e i r p a t i e n t populations. (In black communities, for example, there are approximately 3,500 p atien ts fo r every physician, whereas there 1s one physician for every 721 pa tie n ts 1n white coimiunltles (Evans & Jackson, 1976). Yet t h i s need cannot be met u n til new goals are s e t a t the professional schools level In terms of ac tiv e recruitment and admis­ sion of minority group Individuals. The Bakke case (the ultimate outcome of which s t i l l awaits Supreme Court decision) points to an e f f o r t 1n t h i s d ir e c tio n . Yet 1t 1s an e f f o r t fraught with c o n f l i c t and m is in te rp re ta tio n . This e f f o r t brings with 1t r e s e n t­ ment from those members o f the majority who find themselves, as Allan Bakke has, being bypassed for school admission, job h i r in g , and promotion In order to serve the ends of Affirmative Action Programs. These programs are often labeled "tokenism" or "quota f i l l i n g " (Black Faculty viewpoint, 1978). Despite c o n f l i c t , the e f f o r t must be made. And, In f a c t , the small representation of minority groups In the m atriculant popu­ la tio n a t American medical colleges (both a l lo p a t h ic and oste opathic) 4 has become an Issue of national concern (Coleman, 1976) which has caused a rapid growth of programs aimed a t Increasing opportuni­ t i e s for minority students applying to these schools (Johnson, 1975). In the l a t e 1960's both medical educators and students, responding to the moral and educational Implications of a decade of social change, recognized the need for such programs and have, since th a t time, been reevaluating t h e i r p o lic ie s and goals r e la tin g to admis­ sions (Johnson, 1975). This reevaluation, along with programs geared toward Increasing minority recruitment, has not been highly successful. Thus, though 1n 1948 there were a t l e a s t 26 medical schools which would not admit black applicants and t h a t number was reduced to five by 1964 (Sullivan, 1975), during the decade from 1951-52 to 1961-62, when many r a c ia l b a r r i e r s began to be lowered 1n th is nation, the number of black students enrolled a t predominantly white medical schools grew by a mere two stud ents, from 162 to 164 (Evans, Jones, Wortman, & Jackson, 1975). Clearly, the s t a t i s t i c s do not bear out the much praised and publicized attempts made by medical educators during the 1960's to compensate for past discrimi­ nation 1n medical college admissions. Do the 1970's promise new commitment to affirm ative action? I t 1s observed, decisions lik e the one made 1n the Bakke case and 1n the case o f Frank v. Bowman Transportation Company (1976) wherein the Supreme Court, dealing with the problem of s e n io r i ty awards to persons discriminated against because o f race, awarded re tr o a c tiv e 5 "competitive s ta tu s " s e n io r i ty to the p l a i n t i f f s , seem to Indicate new hope. The United States Supreme Court through numerous c o n s titu ­ tional In te r p re ta tio n s has not ruled against programs developed to Increase the representations of minority group students 1n medical school, based on comments by the New York Supreme Court. The Problem In the r e a l iz a tio n of such a hope, however, new dilemmas arise. Thus, though there has been an Increase In applications submitted by m inorities to predominantly white medical schools (Elam, 1969), attempts must now be made to Insure the admission of the most qualified of these applicants and, once admitted, to r e ta in and graduate them. The task 1s a complex one. Contributing to th is complexity 1s the f a c t th a t most of the minority applicants have been educationally and socioeconomically deprived during t h e i r pre-professional years (Marshall, 1973). As a r e s u l t , t h e i r scores on professional school entrance examinations generally f a l l below those of t h e i r white counterparts. I f admitted, most are generally m - p r e p a n e d for the rigorous curriculum ahead. The problem 1s f u rth e r in te n s if ie d by the competition among schools for ta len ted minority ap plicants. In ad d itio n , the less demanding educational requirements and higher financial rewards of careers In business provide y e t another a t t r a c t i o n f o r m inorities who might otherwise choose to en ter the health professions. F in a lly , should they bypass the business world's l u c r a tiv e o ffe rs and decide to 6 attend medical school, minority group ap p lic a n ts, constrained by t h e i r economic background, find the funding of t h e i r education to be a serious problem as a r e s u l t of the current cutbacks 1n federal loans and scholarship funds available as evidenced by current financial aid l e g i s l a t i o n . * Another facet of the Issue surfaces when one considers the variables used to determine admission Into medical school, such as Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores and college grade point averages (GPAs). I t has been observed t h a t , on the whole, students from minority groups do not perform as well as nonminority students with regard to such objective c r i t e r i a (Korman, S tubblefield, & Martin, 1968; Gough, Hall, & H arris, 1968; K rista, 1970). And, 1n f a c t , " t r a d i t i o n a l " c r i t e r i a may not accurately evaluate the poten­ t i a l of minorities whose backgrounds have been "un tradltlonal" (Johnson & Rosenear, 1977). Interesting to note 1s t h a t minority students, despite 1n some cases having lower MCAT scores and under­ graduate GPAs, perform well 1n the d id a c tic phase of medical school — a finding which has encouraged medical school admissions o f f ic e r s and educators to examine the predictive value of other nontradltional (noncognltlve) c r i t e r i a such as motivation, self-im age, and ego-defense (Johnson, Smith, & Tarnoff, 1975). And t h e i r actions are supported by stu dies which show t h a t t e s t s lik e the MCAT have no p red ic tiv e value for c r e a t i v i t y or pra c tic a l performance (P rice, ♦Health Professions Educational Assistance Act of 1976 (P.L. 94-484) on medical student financing, on Indebtedness le v e l s , and on career plans. 7 Calvin, Richard, & Jacobsen, 1974), and th a t students showing a great p o te n tia l 1n basic sciences (as measured by GPA and the MCAT) are often aloof and very unlikely to practice medicine 1n areas of great need, e . g . , the inner c i t y or outlying rural areas where the need for adequate health care i s so acute (Gough, H all, & H arris, 1963). The challenge here is a great one: to a c tiv e ly r e c r u i t and then evaluate for admission, via relevant objective as well as subjective standards, minority group Individuals desiring a medical school education. Once admitted, such students require programs aimed a t providing support, both academic and f in a n c ia l. In t h i s l i g h t , the following objectives seem appropriate (Klckema & Wilham, 1972): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. To I d e n tify talented black and other minority students who e i t h e r have an I n t e r e s t in becoming health professionals or who might be enticed Into health f i e l d s by an awareness of opportunities In health careers and the need f o r minori­ t i e s in the health f i e l d s . To provide guidance, counseling and encouragement to such students to insure t h e i r eventual enrollment Into health professional schools. To provide each student with academic support, esp e c ia lly in those subje cts basic to medical study. To provide o r i e n ta tio n and motivational experiences for students I n te r e s te d In pursuing health careers such as conferences, f ilm s, tours of professional school, meeting with health professionals and professional students. To provide jobs and financial assista n c e when possible to needy pre-professional students. To educate disadvantaged communities to the necessity for such recruitment e f f o r t s and to Involve representatives from those communities 1n the e f f o r t s . To a s s i s t each student In making applications to profes­ sional school by simplifying the process as much as pos­ s i b l e and by waiving erroneous application fees. To provide counseling and assista n c e to each student 1n his request f o r financial aid and academic support resources a f t e r admission. 8 Focus of the Study Several o f the above objectives are being met a t Michigan State University. A statement made by former unive rsity president* Dr. C lifton R. Wharton, J r . (1970), Indicates the goals of the col­ lege 1n t h i s area: A fin a l and extremely important p rin c ip le which has been adopted a t Michigan State University 1s the aggressive recruitment of minority students for admission to and gradu­ atio n from the medical programs. Added to the recruitment program 1n the past year has been a preparatory program for educationally deprived and economically disadvantaged s t u ­ dents who show a d e s ire and aptitude f o r becoming physicians but who need special assista nce before entering medical school. Especially successful 1n the past several years 1n exempli­ fying Wharton's statement through I t s Minority Support Program—and thus serving as an appropriate model for t h i s study—1s MSU's College o f Osteopathic Medicine (MSU-COM) which became a component college o f Michigan S tate by act of the s t a t e l e g i s l a t u r e 1n 1969. Because MSU-COM 1s committed to a s s i s t i n g 1n the solution of the growing public demand f o r physicians who can provide w hollstlc and continuing health care to a l l members o f the family, I t s curriculum 1s geared prim arily to the tr a in i n g of family physicians. Training In osteopathic medicine prepares physicians to maintain a personal r e la tio n s h i p with the p a tie n t and family as well as I n te r a c t with the community environment. Because of t h i s emphasis, t h i s author believes the p r a c t ic e o f osteopathic medicine to be p a r t i c u l a r l y s u i t a b l e for minority students whose se rv ic es—as family physicians r a th e r than s p e c i a l i s t s —are so desperately needed In t h i s n a t io n 's urban areas. 9 Study Purpose and Methodology The primary purpose of t h i s study was to Inv estigate the underrepresentation of minority groups in medical school and the performance of minority matriculants to MSU-COM, 1n an attempt to evaluate the shortage o f minority group physicians and make recom­ mendations f o r improvement and f u r th e r research. Toward t h i s end, th is study examined the undergraduate records, MCAT scores, size and location of undergraduate (U.G.) college, marital s t a t u s , sex, e t h n i c i t y , U.G. major, graduate work, and age of minority students admitted to MSU-COM during the years 1974, 1975, and 1976. Markert and West's study (1978) and SNMA and AAMC (1974) agree th a t variables warrant consideration 1n addressing the concerns of the study. From a t o t a l student body (minority and majority) admitted to MSU-COM during those three academic y e a rs , the sample of minority matriculants was chosen: t o ta l number f o r the three y ea rs—50 (18 from 1974, 17 from 1975, 15 from 1976).* Each member o f the population was then evaluated and placed 1n one o f two groups: the group I d e n tif ie d as minorities on academic probation (AP)** or not on AP. Objective and subjective varia bles (described above) were then used to f u r t h e r examine the members of each group 1n an e f f o r t to a r r iv e a t predictors f o r academic success. Discriminant analysis *Th1s study did not recognise O rientals as members o f the minority population as t h e i r numbers 1n the health profession as physicians are more than representative o f the t o t a l U.S. Oriental population. ★♦Percentage of terms on academic probation. 10 was the method employed to determine which factors d i f f e r e n t i a t e minorities on AP from those not on AP. Ch1-square aided 1n the grouping of sim ila r c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s among minority m atriculants, and trend analysis was u t i l i z e d to discover trends In the data over the study period, such as whether or not there was a progres­ sive dif ference 1n the q u a lity of students admitted to MSU-COM over the three-year time span (1974-1976). The following hypotheses were used to address these concerns: Aj Socioeconomic background 1s r e la te d to success In COM. A2 Socioeconomic background 1s not re la te d to success 1n COM. B, The s iz e and location of a four-year college 1s r e la te d to success 1n COM. Bp The siz e and location of a four-year college Is not r e la te d to success 1n COM. C^ C2 Parental education 1s re la te d to success 1n COM. Parental education Is not re la te d to success In COM. 1, a 1h ° There AP or There AP or will be no re la tio n sh ip between marital s ta t u s and PP.* will be a r e la tio n s h ip between marital s ta tu s and PP. 2a There will 2b There will be no re la tio n sh ip between sex and AP or PP. be a r e la tio n sh ip between sex and AP or PP. 3. a 3h 0 be no re la tio n sh ip between U.G. college and There AP or There AP or will PP. will PP. be a r e la tio n s h ip between U.G. college and ♦Percentage of courses taken and passed. 11 4fl 4b There will be no r e la tio n s h i p between e t h n i c i t y and AP or PP. There w ill be a re la tio n sh ip between e t h n i c i t y and AP or PP. 5a 5b There will be no re la tio n sh ip between U.G. major and AP or PP. There w ill be a r e la tio n s h i p between U.G. major and AP or PP. 6. a 6k D There AP or There AP or w ill be no re la tio n sh ip between graduate work and PP. will be a re la tio n sh ip between graduate work and PP. 7 There istics There istics will and w ill and 7h be no re la tio n sh ip between U.G. college cha ra cte r­ AP or PP. be a re la tio n sh ip between U.G. college cha ra cte r­ AP or PP. Limitations of the Study Although t h i s study addresses the academic circumstances of three minority groups (Black, Spanish-speaking, and Native Ameri­ cans) with regard to medical school admission and r e t e n t i o n , the majority of the study subjects were Black. Moreover, as mentioned previously, there 1s very l i t t l e research l i t e r a t u r e ava ila ble on the other two groups; thus, l i t e r a t u r e on Black Americans had to serve as the reference point for general statements made about minority groups/students 1n America. In addition, the sample used for t h i s study was q u ite small (50 minority students admitted to MSU-COM between 1974 and 1976), a f a c t which, 1n I t s e l f , points to the necessity f o r a study o f t h i s kind. As a r e s u l t , the recommendations and conclusions reached by t h i s author can serve only as guidelines 1n future recruitm ent, r e te n tio n , and counseling o f minority students. 12 D efinition o f Terms The following terms are defined 1n the context 1n which they are used 1n t h i s study. Academic probation (AP): The researcher employed t h i s v a r i ­ able to distin g u ish between subjects who had experienced academic d i f f i c u l t y and those who had not experienced such d i f f i c u l t y . Percentage of courses passed (PP): This variable i d e n t i f i e s the percentage of courses In which a subject had successfully met course requirements. Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT): An admissions-exami­ nation required of a l l medical school applicants. Minority Support Program (MSP): A support program developed by the College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, to I d e n tif y , r e c r u i t , and admit minority group students who asp ire to be Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine. Outline of the Study Following t h i s Introductory chapter. Chapter II will review the research l i t e r a t u r e p e rtin e n t t o recruitment and re te n tio n and f inancial aid available to minority group applicants to medical school. The chapter will also provide a description of MSU-COM and I t s admission and counseling procedure c a rrie d out through I t s Minority Support Program. Chapter I II contains a discussion of the methodology employed 1n t h i s study, while Chapter IV presents and analyzes study findings. F in a lly , Chapter V offers conclusions based on these findings and 13 suggests p o s s i b i l i t i e s for f u r th e r research in t h i s area. This w r i t e r Is o f the b e l i e f th a t data compiled for t h i s study can be used to (1) serve as a background for f u r th e r research Into the Influence of nontradltional admissions c r i t e r i a for admitting minority students Into colleges of a l lo p a t h ic and osteopathic medi­ cine* (2) develop nontradltional models and techniques to a s s i s t 1n the medical schools' recruitment and rete n tio n of minority students, and (3} suggest ways t h a t medical colleges can continue to upgrade t h e i r admission procedure f o r minority applicants (Gains, 1975; Gough & Hall, 1976; Feldman & Burnett, 1973; Plagge, Sheverbursh, Smith, & Solomon, 1974). CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND MSU-COM's MINORITY SUPPORT PROGRAM Introduction Movements toward equal opportunity 1n higher education date back to the Morrill Act of 1862, which, as Austin (1971) I n d ic a te s, was the l e g i s l a t i o n underlying the development of land grant colleges. Yet America's most v i s i b l e m inorities (Blacks, Chlcanos, Native Americans) have benefited l i t t l e from such movements. This Is not to say, however, t h a t a l l m in o rities have been excluded; Austin addresses th is Issue: Bright and able students who could not afford to go to col­ lege, whether white, black, American Indian, Spanish-speaking or whatever, were being sought by a growing number o f col­ leges. But those whose past academic performance was poor represented a r is k th a t very few colleges were w illin g to take [Emphasis mine.3. The academic e stablishm e nt's reluctance to r i s k admittance of students with disadvantaged backgrounds has taken I t s t o l l , too, a t the professional/graduate school le v e l . Especially In medical schools (both a llo p a th ic and o s te o p a th ic ) , th e re 1s a real h e s i­ tancy to r e c r u i t and then admit minority students whose MCAT scores and GPAs f a l l to meet the standards s e t by admissions committees, the members of which, f o r the most p a r t , belong to the majority group 1n t h i s country. 14 15 Yet t h i s hesitancy must be overcome I f we are to meet the health care needs of a l l our population. now being met. And those needs are not In f a c t , a study by the American Public Health Association (1974) points to the obvious difference which e x i s ts 1n the health se rvic es provided majority and minority groups, a difference r e f le c te d 1n the small number of minority physicians. Yerby (1977) also Indicates his concern fo r the lack o f physicians in poverty-plagued areas In t h i s country such as urban centers. Obviously, a key variable 1n the q u a l ity o f health care one receives as well as in one's as p ira tio n s to e n t e r c e rta in career groups—1s one's Income, a fact supported by the findings o f a HEW study (1971) In 19 large U.S. c i t i e s (Selected Vital and Health S t a t i s t i c s In Poverty and Non-Poverty Areas). In discussions with segments of the population receiving l i t t l e or no medical o r preventive se rv ic e s , researchers for t h i s study found t h a t minority group members received lower ratings 1n s i x of the seven I d e n tif ie d areas of health s e rv ic es. Such a deficiency was discovered to be r e la te d to both poverty and minority group s t a t u s , though the former seemed to be the major contributing f a cto r. Clearly, as Gray (1977) points out with regard to t h i s HEW study, the I n e q u a l itie s th a t e x i s t 1n the health care system are the problem o f a l l Americans since adequate health care 1s a con­ stitu tio n al right. And one of the ways to a l l e v i a t e t h i s problem 1s to Increase the number of minority group physicians w illin g to serve in poverty-stricken areas. A study by Neltzes and Elkhanialy concluded th a t the proportion o f minority physicians should be 16 equal to ( a t a minimum) t h e i r proportion In the U.S. population. Yet, p re se n tly , though minority groups compose approximately 15 percent o f the to ta l population, only 3 percent of a l l physicians are minority group members. This chapter addresses t h a t s t a r t l i n g underrepresentation by reviewing l i t e r a t u r e relevant to the recruitment and retention of minority students by U.S. medical schools, s p e c i f i c a l l y schools of osteopathic medicine. I t discusses the s i t u a t i o n as 1t e x i s t s , suggests measures for change, and, f i n a l l y , presents an example of a program which has proven successful In terms of increasing the number of minority members 1n the t o t a l pool of U.S. physicians. Recruitment and Admissions The Issue o f "Reverse Discrimination11 The Alan Bakke case, c ite d a t the beginning of t h i s study, presents one of the most stubborn obstacles to the admission of minority students to any higher education program: the Issue of majority reaction to affirm ative action po lic ie s aimed a t promoting recruitment and admission of minority groups, often a t the expense of a majority group individual. This reaction has found I t s focus 1n the majority cry o f "reverse discrim ination," a charge which was rejected by the Michigan State University Black Faculty and Adminis­ t r a t o r s Association 1n I t s response to the Implications o f the Bakke case: Thirdly, we question the v a l i d i t y o f such a concept as “reverse discrim ination ," a term t h a t has found i t s way Into the American vocabulary. There 1s e i t h e r discrimina­ tio n or there 1s not. Though the concept o f reverse 17 discrimination preceded Bakke, t h i s case has highlighted 1t. Reverse discrimination seems to be a disguised way of saying t h a t the rig h ts and p riv ile g es enjoyed by the majority of the population, which were often gained by devious and In some cases I l l e g a l methods, are beginning to be Infringed upon by non-whites 1n our attempt to make t h i s country live out the tr u e meaning of democracy [For the complete te x t of the A ssociation's statement, see Appendix B.]. In t h e i r refusal to be Intimidated by what could be termed majority "backlash," MSU's Black f acu lty and adm inistrators have pointed the way to a r e a l i s t i c appraisal of un ive rsity admissions standards. The real Issue, then, 1s not "racism 1n reverse," but the establishment of a recruitment program aimed a t a t t r a c t i n g minority students and, a t the same time, co n tro llin g a t t r i t i o n (Johnson, 1968; Gaines, 1975). And Gaines (1975) notes the current e f f o r t s of medical school administrators to reexamine t h e i r admis­ sions c r i t e r i a and revise s t r a t e g i e s which w ill allow programs geared towards minority recruitment to continue without Infringing upon the legal rig h ts o f Caucasians who make up the majority of the applicant pool. Relevance of Cognitive Variables Any revamping o f admissions c r i t e r i a must encompass ce rtain areas. F i r s t , there 1s the Issue o f whether or not the objective variables of MCAT score + undergraduate GPA are adequate predic tors o f success In the medical school curriculum. In f a c t , 1t has been shown t h a t some minority stu d e n ts, though not possessing as high an MCAT score and GPA as t h e i r majority c o u n terp arts, perform excep­ t i o n a l l y well 1n the did a c tic phase ( I . e . , c l i n i c a l segment) of t h e i r curriculum. The question here thus becomes whether o r not the 18 possession o f ce rtain cognitive t r a i t s 1s more Indica tive of suc­ cess as a physician than possession of noncognltlve t r a i t s . (In the fam ily/patient-oriented emphasis of osteopathic medicine the answer to t h i s question Is e s p e c i a lly meaningful.) D'Costa (1974) summarizes a simulated Minority Admissions Exercise developed by AAMC which speaks to such nontradltional (noncognltlve) predic tors of minority students' success. Below 1s a s e r i e s of recommendations for the se lec tio n process which arose from t h a t exercise: A. B. C. D. There 1s usually a lack of Information 1n minority a p p li­ cations. Either the applicant has no experiences of the type he is asked about, or he does not remember them as significant. L etters of recommendation tend to be non-d1scr1m1nat1ng and therefore not useful In s e le c tio n . In the regular admissions s i t u a t i o n , using GPA and MCAT scores to pre-screen applicants before Interviewing them may be defensible. With minority applica nts the reverse technique should be used and 1s fe a s ib le because of the smaller numbers: t h a t 1s, pre-screen with an Interview designed to look for c e r t a in c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , then s e l e c t on the basis o f GPA and MCAT. The following variables have been suggested for pre­ screening: 1. POSITIVE SELF-CONCEPT of confidence. Strong s e l f ­ f e e lin g ; strength o f ch a ra cte r, determination. Independence. 2. UNDERSTANDS AND DEALS WITH RACISM. R e a l i s t i c based upon personal experiences of racism. Is committed to fighting to Improve e x istin g system. Not submis­ sive to existing wrongs, nor hateful of s o c ie ty , nor a "cop out." Able to f i g h t racism. 3. REALISTIC SELF-APPRAISAL, e s p ecially academic. Recog­ nizes and accepts h i s / h e r I n d iv id u a lity . 4. PREFERS LONG-RANGE GOALS TO SHORT-TERM OR IMMEDIATE NEEDS. 5. AVAILABILITY OF STRONG SUPPORT PERSON to whom to turn In c r i s e s . 6. SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE 1n any area pertinent to background (gang le ader, s p o r ts ) . 7. DEMONSTRATED COMMUNITY SERVICE. 8. DEMONSTRATED MEDICAL INTEREST. Has experience to back his claims. 19 E. Final s e le c tio n considerations could Include the following: 9. ACADEMICCAPABILITYRATING by pre-medical fa c u lty . 10. ACADEMIC ATTAINMENT(GPA). 11. ACADEMICCAPABILITY(MCAT). Class Size and Admissions S t a t i s t i c s Another Issue r e la te d to admissions c r i t e r i a Is class s iz e ; according to Nelson (1967), recruitment e f f o r t s must address t h i s obstacle to r e a l i s t i c minority admissions. In f a c t , t h i s author agrees with Nelson's suggestion to increase class siz e 1n order to Increase admission opportunities f o r minority applicants (and majority applicants as w e ll). Along t h i s same l i n e , Coleman (1976) has suggested t h a t minority recruitment should progress each year at the r a t e of growth of general class s iz e . I t would seem t h a t I f th is suggestion were implemented along with Nelson's there might be le ss confusion and reaction about supposed "reverse discrim i­ nation" and "quota" f i l l i n g . I t 1s appropriate a t t h i s point to a c tu a l ly take a look a t some figures on medical school admissions, s p e c i f i c a l l y admissions to osteopathic medical schools. Although the figures are encourag­ ing, they s t i l l do not represent a t o t a l e f f o r t 1n the area. Tables 1 and 2 provide Information on a pplica tions to and freshman class composition of nine colleges o f osteopathic medicine In th is country for the years 1974-1977.* Table 3 furnishes *U.S. Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine: Chicago College o f Osteopathic Medicine, Chicago, I l l i n o i s ; College o f Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, Des Moines, Iowa; Michigan State University College o f Osteopathic Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan; Oklahoma College o f Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Texas 20 Table 1.—Minority applications to U.S. colleges of osteopathic medicine, 1975-1977. % Minority Year Total Minority 1975-76 3,875 168 4.3 1976-77 4,214 220 5.2 Source: American Osteopathic Association, Office o f Special Opportunities, 1977. Table 2 . --Minority composition of freshman class a t U.S. colleges of osteopathic medicine, 1974-1977. Total Year Minority % Minority 1974-75 960 34 3.4 1975-76 1,027 56 5.4 1976-77 1,052 64 6.0 Source: American Osteopathic Association, Office o f Special Opportunities, 1977. College o f Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Worth, Texas; Kirksville College o f Osteopathic Medicine, K ir k s v ille , Missouri; Ohio Univer­ s i t y College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, Ohio; Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; West Virginia School o f Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg, West Virginia. 21 Table 3 .—Minority enrollment (by ethnic breakdown) 1n U.S. colleges of osteopathic medicine, 1974-1977. First-Year Enrollment Afro-American American Indian Mexican American Oriental American Puerto Rican (Mainland) Other First-Year Minority Total Total Enrollment Afro-American American Indian Mexican American Oriental American Puerto Rican (Mainland) Other Total Minority Enrollment Source: 1974 -75 No. % 1975 -76 No. % 1976 -77 No. 56 26 1 6 7 0 2 42 23 7 10 15 0 5 59 26 6 11 15 1 1 5o 2.7 0.0 0.6 0.7 - - 0.2 4.3 2.2 0.7 1.0 1.4 - - 0.4 rrr 2.4 0.6 1.0 1.4 0.0 0.0 575 * 46 11 11 15 1 5 89 1.5 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.0 0.2 o 57 13 23 27 0 9 T?9' 1.7 0.4 0.7 0.8 •* to 0.3 3.7 70 16 26 42 1 6 m 1.9 0.4 0.7 1.1 0.0 0.2 O ’ 1974-75 Fall Enrollment Questionnaire; 1975-76 and 1976-77 LC01 Questionnaires. With the preceding information in mind, i t is i n t e r e s t i n g now to examine Table 4, which offe rs a comprehensive look a t admissions c r i t e r i a f o r the 1978 beginning class a t the nine U.S. Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. Here class composition with regard to sex, residence, and ethnic s ta tu s 1s presented along with figures on the cognitive admissions c r i t e r i a of GPA and MCAT score. Data r e f l e c t i n g recruitment e f f o r t s a t Michigan State U niversity's College of Osteo­ pathic Medicine (MSU-COM) can be found in the column labeled E. Table 4."Significant data on applications of candidates applying for admission to class beginning 1978 (U.S. colleges of osteopathic medicine). Applicants Total Men Women In-state Out-of-state Minorities Black American American Indian Mexican American Oriental American P.R.—Malnland P. R.—CoamonMeal th Cuban Total Minority GPA Overall Science Nonscience MCAT Biology Chemistry Physics Science Reading Quantitative A B C D College E 1,313 1,109 207 284 1,029 1,179 977 202 294 885 1,169 1,002 167 74 1,095 1,259 1,072 187 271 988 1,397 1,132 265 592 805 2,059 1,787 272 84 1,975 2,072 1,771 301 132 1,940 1,269 1,078 191 281 998 1,979 1,679 300 216 1,763 33 6 10 26 4 1 6 86 33 6 10 21 4 0 6 80 29 6 7 14 0 0 5 61 46 8 19 25 0 0 2 100 63 11 14 17 0 1 0 106 30 9 13 26 2 0 4 84 47 11 14 32 3 1 8 116 47 7 10 20 1 1 3 89 53 9 11 30 1 1 5 110 112 18 24 59 4 2 8 227 3.14 3.07 3.24 3.14 3.04 3.22 3.09 3.01 3.18 3.12 3.05 3.21 3.19 3.12 3.27 3.17 3.09 3.26 3.16 3.08 3.26 3.14 3.05 3.25 3.16 3.08 3.26 3.16 3.09 3.25 8 7 7 7 8 7 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 7 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 8 8 7 7 7 7 8 8 7 7 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 8 8 F G H I Total N % Source: American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Application Service, 1978. 2,916 82.8 606 17.2 6.4 23 Status of Recruitment Efforts A study by the Student National Medical Association and the Association of Medical Colleges (1973-74)—Recruitment and Progress of Minority School Entrants 1972-72—^addresses several Issues r e la te d to the recruitment e f f o r t s which crea te the s t a t i s t i c s j u s t c i t e d . Conducted 1n order to evaluate a c t i v i t i e s aimed a t Increasing the representation of minority medical s tu d e n ts , the study reports the following findings: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Confirmation t h a t the r acial c h a ra cte rizatio n s s e lf- r e p o r te d by medical school applicants have a high degree of accuracy and Increasing degree of completeness. An encouraging Increase In the number of black premedical students who will p o te n tia lly apply f o r entrance to medical schools. Growth in the enrollment o f low-Income medical studen ts, most of 1 t explained by the Increase 1n the numbers of minority group members who have been admitted 1n recent years. More mobility among blacks than Caucasians with regard to attending medical schools 1n other than t h e i r region of legal residence. A higher proportion o f women, of o ld e r, and of married s t u ­ dents among minority medical school matriculants than among Caucasian m atriculants. A s l i g h t l y higher medical school rete n tio n r a t e f o r Cauca­ sians than f o r students from underrepresented minority groups, possibly explained 1n p a r t by the g r e a te r d i v e r s i ty 1n the socioeconomic and educational backgrounds o f the l a t t e r . A p o sitiv e r e la tio n s h i p f o r blacks between the siz e of undergraduate college attended and successful completion o f the f i r s t year o f Medical School. Recruitment Advice to Minority Students Number s ix in the 11st of seven findings above points to one final Issue to be considered here in t h i s section on recruitment admission of minority students to medical study, a school o f osteopathic medicine). and school (1n the case of t h i s That Issue r e l a t e s to the 24 rete n tio n prospects f o r such students once they are admitted. Recruiters can play a v i t a l role In Increasing these prospects p r io r to a s tu d e n t's admission by making the following suggestions to him: Prior to Entering Medical School 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. In the process of obtaining a so lid background of knowledge, develop e f f e c t iv e study techniques. I f any remedial work 1s necessary (such as the Improvement o f reading s k i l l s ) , obtain such help as e a rl y as possible. Recognize the Importance of such n oninte lle ctua l q u a l i t i e s as I n t e g r i t y , social s k i l l s , and the a b i l i t y to remain emo­ t i o n a l l y sta b le under pressure. Seek ea rly opportunities to t e s t motivation fo r a career 1n medicine by experiences 1n r e la te d roles such as laboratory a s s i s t a n t , hospital aide, worker with the handicapped, and the lik e . I f a woman or 1f older than the average premedical student, recognize the r e la te d c o n f lic ts and d i f f i c u l t i e s and prepare 1n advance to compensate for them. In choosing an undergraduate college , consider the q u ality of I t s premedical offerings and the number of I t s alumni admitted to medical school. Learn as much as possible about what r e a l i s t i c a l l y to expect 1n medical school through such channels as the "Admissions Requirements Book," medical school ca ta lo g s, ta lk s with medical stu dents, and v i s i t s to medical c e n te r s ; avoid d e c i­ sions based on unsubstantiated n\yth, rumor, or speculation. In choosing a medical school, consider I t s a t t r i t i o n r a te along with such other important factors as I t s o bje ctives, s t a f f , f a c i l i t i e s , c o s ts , student personnel s e rv ic e s , and faculty-student r e la t i o n s . Retention P r i o r i t i e s in the Process A task force study of the Association of American Medical Colleges, the American Medical Association, and the American Hospital Association (1974) has made some additional suggestions about expanding educational opportunities 1n medical school fo r minority groups. 25 1. 2. 3. Major e f f o r t s should be focused on the problem of r e te n ­ tio n of minority students 1n programs which prepare them for careers 1n the medical profession. The most impor­ ta n t fa c to rs In rete n tio n during premedical education are the a v a i l a b i l i t y of financial aid a t the undergraduate level and the s tu d e n t's perception of i t s a v a i l a b i l i t y a t the medical school le v e l. Sim ilarly, the main b a r r i e r today fo r minority students 1n attending medical schools Is the Inadequacies of financial aid. Coincident with Increasing enrollment of minority students 1n medical schools, federal government and othe r sources o f funds have been decreasing. The need 1s urgent for reversing t h i s trend and e s ta b lish in g b e t t e r mechan­ isms for u t i l i z i n g ava ila ble funds. Another c r i t i c a l f a c to r 1n r e te n tio n 1n recruitment of minority students 1n medical education programs 1s the provision to students o f accurate Information and counsel­ ing on the medical profession. Counseling should be directed to the e f f o r t s which will help the student to r e a l iz e f u l l y his p ote ntia l and to gain the confidence needed to pursue a career 1n medicine. These suggestions point to some p r i o r i t i e s which must be adopted i f minority students who are successfully rec r u ite d and admitted to medical school are to pursue t h e i r education with success. Those p r i o r i t i e s would seem to Include: e f f o r t s to control academic a t t r i t i o n , provision o f adequate financial a i d , the a v a i l a b i l i t y of counseling. Effective recruitment Involves making prospective s t u ­ dents aware th a t such p r i o r i t i e s and t h e i r re la te d services e x i s t . Indeed, as Johnson and Hutchins (1966) maintain, th e acceptance of any student to medical school who f a l l s to graduate 1s a d iss e rv ic e to s o c ie ty , to the school, to othe r ap p lic a n ts, and, most of a l l , to the respective student. Efforts to Control A t t r i t i o n Each medical school has an obligation to c r e a te a supportive environment which aids the student 1n overcoming both personal and 26 academic problems. An abundance of l i t e r a t u r e e x i s t s concerning the medical student and his learning environment which addresses the Issue o f stress-Induced unhappiness and d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n with medical education. Funkensteln (1975) has I d e n tif ie d 11 problem areas f o r the student: d i f f i c u l t y o rien ting to the medical school environment, competition, lack of le is u r e time, loss of close s tu d e n t-fa cu lty r e l a t i o n s , decreased c a l ib e r of teaching, I n f l e x i b i l i t y o f c u rricu ­ lum, lack of relevance of precH n lc al y e a rs , c o n f lic tin g demands, teaching of anachronistic s k i l l s and values, prolonged dependency, and lack of adequate finances (see also Boyle & Coombs, 1974; Bloom, 1971; Rosenberg, 1971). Such problems can be e s p e c ia lly acute for the entering minority student. In f a c t , Hattenschlveller (1971) claims th a t when a majority student 1s admitted to college , 1f his i n i t i a l experience 1s negative, he can e f f e c t iv e ly adjust due to his academic and social preparation. On the other hand, a minority student who, in many cases, 1s the product of Inadequate preparation will find the adjustment process much more d i f f i c u l t . I t 1s e s s e n tia l th a t there be a s e n s i t i v i t y to th is f a c t among medical school administrators and f a c u lty , and t h a t s e n s i t i v i t y should lead to the development of a climate which equal­ izes learning resources. This climate becomes a r e a l i t y 1n several ways. One way i s through the establishment o f advisement/assistance programs responsive to the special concerns and needs o f minority students. groups. These programs can Include t u t o r i a l s and informal study In ad d itio n , there should be a close monitoring on a d a l ly , 27 weekly, and monthly basis of the academic progress of minority s tu ­ dents, and counseling s e rv ic e s, for personal as well as academic problems, should be r ead ily available to them. Of s ig n ific a n c e , too, Is the need for an Increased number of minority role models a t pre­ dominantly white I n s t i t u t i o n s (Franklin, 1974), I . e . , an increase 1n the hiring of minority f a c u l t y / s t a f f to serve as objects of Id e n ti­ f ic a tio n f o r minority medical students. Another way to Improve a medical school's learning environ­ ment so as to promote retention of students 1s to encourage the s tu ­ dent himself to take c e rt a in ste p s. O'Costa {1n press) gives the following advice: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Give medical school a f a i r t r i a l ; recognize th a t 1t 1s normal to have occasional doubts as to whether one 1s In the r ig h t f i e l d or whether one will be able to meet suc­ c e ssfu lly the demands of a medical education. Do not make a premature decision to drop from the program. Devote adequate time and e f f o r t to your medical s t u d i e s , with the knowledge t h a t there will be l i t t l e opportunity f or part-time employment or e x t r a c u r r ic u la r a c t i v i t i e s 1n most medical schools p a r t i c u l a r l y 1n the f i r s t year. Organize as balanced a l i f e as possible, Insuring adequate r e s t and relaxation to maintain your physical and emotional health. I f d i f f i c u l t i e s are encountered, take the I n i t i a t i v e and be p e r s i s t e n t 1n seeking help from the f a c u l ty , adm inistration, or supporting services such as t u t o r i n g , counseling, and financial aid, I f the opportunity to repeat a year presents I t s e l f , take advantage of 1t 1n the knowledge th a t a high proportion of repeaters f i n a l l y receive the D.O. degree. The Dilemma of Financial Aid One of the most serious problems confronting the medical student—minority and majority member a l i k e —1s the securing of financial support. Indeed, with the Increased costs of medical 28 education, medical schools, both a llo p a th ic and osteopathic, are being forced to r a is e t u i t i o n , and financial aid f o r a l l students, and, s p e c i f i c a l l y , for minority and disadvantaged stu d e n ts, 1s becom­ ing a c r i t i c a l Issue. The economic position of minority groups In t h i s society has made I t d i f f i c u l t f o r minority families to finance t h e i r c h i l d r e n 's medical education. In f a c t , Neltzes and Elkhanialy (1976) point out th a t with the Increase 1n the number of minority medical students there has been a decline 1n the percentage of those relying on personal or family funding and a corresponding r i s e 1n the number and percentage of students who had to rely on government funds or on sources other than the family. And t h i s In a period of time when government 1s c u ttin g back 1n I t s funding e f f o r t s . Clearly, the s i t u a t i o n 1s serious. an obligation to a l l e v i a t e 1t. And medical schools have There are several ways to do so. F i r s t , 1t 1s suggested th a t medical schools adopt a policy of waiv­ ing application fees for those In need. I t 1s no s e c r e t , as Johnson, Smith, and Tamoff (1975) point out, t h a t the more medical schools the student applies to , the g r e a te r the likelihood of his acceptance. Also no s e c r e t 1s the f a c t t h a t to apply to several schools becomes a very expensive process; precious financial resources should not be so wasted. Once past t h i s b a r r i e r and admitted to a medical school, the student should be made aware o f a l l possible sources o f mone­ ta ry support: Public Health Service scholarships, Equal Opportunity Program fellowships, guaranteed student loans, e t c . be discouraged from Incurring unnecessary debts. And he should 29 MSU-COM: A Case Study In Success MSU-COM*s History The College of Osteopathic Medicine a t Michigan S tate Univer­ s i t y 1s q u ite unique when compared to the three other Michigan-based schools tr a in i n g physicians 1n t h a t I t 1s the f i r s t college of osteo­ pathic medicine to be s t a t e supported and located a t a u n iv e rsity . The Michigan l e g i s l a t u r e established t h i s I n s t i t u t i o n 1n 1969, which makes MSU-COM the f i r s t osteopathic school developed 1n 50 years. Prior to s e t t l i n g on the MSU campus, the college was based 1n Pontiac, Michigan. I t had been established there as the r e s u l t o f an e f f o r t to address the shortage of physicians within Michigan; during t h i s I n i ­ t i a l period COM was p r iv a te ly chartered by the Michigan Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons. In 1971 MSU-COM enrolled I t s f i r s t class In a program designed to t r a i n Individuals able to provide comprehensive health core. Upon completion of the COM curriculum (which comprises th ree years instead of the t r a d i t i o n a l f o u r), these physicians are awarded the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. For surrounding ho sp itals and c l i n i c s the college has been a source of medical manpower. Many of these f a c i l i t i e s serve as c i te d f o r c l i n i c a l r o t a t i o n s , the major a c t i v i t y of the t h i r d year of study, ftyron S. Magen, 0 . 0 . , past president of the American College of Osteopathic P e d ia tr i c ia n s , has served 1n the capacity of Dean since the development of t h i s college. MSU-COM shares teaching and laboratory f a c i l i t i e s with the a l lo p a t h ic College of Human Medicine also located on the Michigan State University campus. COM classe s generally number 100 1n s iz e and 30 I t s f acu lty 1s comprised of Ph.D.s In various s c i e n t i f i c areas ( I . e . , biochemistry, anatomy, e t c . ) and p racticing D.O.s and M.D.s who teach on both a p a r t- and f u ll- tim e b a s is. See Appendix C for a l i s t i n g of MSU-COM's admissions re q u ir e ­ ments, a summary of admissions c r i t e r i a and p o l i c i e s , a description o f the evaluation and s e lec tio n process, and a sample three-year curriculum. MSU-COM and Affirmative Action Freedom 1s not enough. You do not wipe out scars of centuries by saying "Now yo u're free to go where you want and do as you d e s ir e ." You do not take a person who for years has been hob­ bled by chains and l i b e r a t e him, bringing him up to the s t a r t ­ ing lin e of a race and say "You're free to compete" and j u s t l y believe th a t you are completely f a i r . All of our c i tiz e n s must have the a b i l i t y to walk through those gates; and t h i s 1s the next and most profound stage of the b a t t l e fo r c i v i l r i g h t s . These words by the l a t e President Lyndon B. Johnson spoken In 1975 a t Howard University point to a goal MSU-COM has s e t f o r Itself: to eliminate discriminatory practices t h a t had become h i s ­ t o r i c a l obstacles to equal admission opportunities fo r minority group Individuals desiring to pursue t h e i r education. In order to reach th is goal, the College formally establish ed an Affirmative Action Committee* on July 11, 1973, with the following objectives: 1. Advise the Dean with respect to the adoption and Implemen­ t a t i o n of p o lic ie s designed to bring about or maintain equal opportunity 1n education and employment within the College. This aspect o f the mission 1s premised upon the candid admission t h a t much remains to be accomplished before women and members of ethnic min orities can routinely expect such opportunity. *In 1976 MSU-COM dissolved the Affirmative Action Committee. 31 2. Advise the Dean with respect to measures to be taken to r e c r u i t representative numbers o f these groups as student, faculty and s t a f f within the College; and with respect to measures to e s ta b li s h and maintain equal opportunity for those already within the College family. The Committee w ill function within the p o lic ie s s e t f o rth by the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Michigan S tate University. It 1s not the In te n t o f the Committee to usurp the preroga­ tiv e s of the department chalrpeople but to aid and a s s i s t them in a meaningful affirm ative program. In those instances where the Committee can be o f assista n c e to various units within the College, they stand ready to be of use. 3. Investigate complaints which alle g e denial o f equal oppor­ t u n ity because of membership In o r of these groups; Inform a l l p a r tie s to the complaint promptly as to the nature of the complaint; prepare preliminary fin d in g s, and recommenda­ tions for remedial action by the Dean. 4. Conduct periodic conferences with the principal Departments and Committees of the College, fo r the purpose of exchanging Information and opinions r e l a t i v e to achievement of equal opportunity throughout the College. 5. Record minutes o f meetings; prepare an annual report for d i s t r i b u t i o n throughout the College. Opposed to such o b je c tiv e s, of course, has been the majority cry of "reverse discrim ination." The statement by Wicker (1975) below 1s a response to such a cry, a response which r e f l e c t s the a t t i t u d e of t h i s author. White males once shut out women and m inorities from f a c u l t i e s and student bodies 1n a d e l i b e r a t e , systematic, discriminatory manner. I t cannot reasonably be said t h a t white males are being shut out 1n anything remotely resembling the same manner or approaching the same numbers. They must f i n a l l y share the oppor­ t u n it y to access to those I n s t i t u t i o n s , and compete f a i r l y ; fo r the access i s not "racism in reverse" o r "sexism 1n reverse," but simple j u s t i c e , long overdue. The Minority Support Program (MSP) A primary objective 1n the development of MSP was to s e l e c t a diverse student body which would Increase the enrollment of minority students (Blacks, Chicanos, Native Americans). In addressing t h i s 32 objective, the MSP* was developed in 1974 and charged with the task of making minority communities aware of the osteopathic profession and I t s commitment to community se rv ic e. A major emphasis was placed on recruitment, but, as Indicated by Coleman (1977), t h i s was only one element of the support services provided by the MSP. H istoric al perspective of the MSP.--MSU-COM was allocated financial support (1969-1976) from the Special Project Grants f o r purposes o f Increasing and diversifying I t s student body, enlarging I t s fa c u lty , and curriculum Improvement. The f i f t h year (1974-75) constituted a change 1n p r i o r i t i e s , which was a commitment to Increase the underrepresentation of minority m atriculants. This commitment spoke to recruitment, counseling, and creating a l t e r n a t i v e s to the regular curriculum; e . g . , shortening the time period 1n which the program could be completed. MSU-COM, with an i n s t i t u t i o n a l conmltment and financial sup­ p ort, Implemented a program which spoke p o s itiv e ly to the need fo r minority physicians—the MSP. I t s accomplishments summarize the recruitment, counseling, and admissions success experienced through these e f f o r t s . The counseling aspect served to increase opportuni­ t i e s f o r minority matriculants within COM. In Chapter II the w r i t e r has provided additional Information regarding the success of MSP. *The MSP was operative f o r the 1974-75, 1975-76, and 1976-77 academic years. During 1977-78 I t s services are being Integrated Into the t o t a l college program of student s e rv ic es. 33 Recruitment.--As s t a t e d , a primary goal of MSP was to develop a mechanism which would Identify and r e c r u i t minority students to the profession of osteopathic medicine. To achieve th is goal, minorities residing In communities having a large minority population were Invited to attend presentations and were sent numerous mailings con­ cerning the profession. (See Appendix D for sample mailings.) Addi­ tional a c t i v i t i e s l i s t e d below aimed a t meeting th is objective Involved a tremendous amount of w ritten and verbal communication: 1. Contact minority pre-medical organizations to arrange presentations and provide l i t e r a t u r e . 2. Contact pre-medical advisors a t s t a t e and o u t- o f - s t a t e colleges and u n iv e r s i tie s having a large minority popu­ la tio n . 3. Contact minority D.O.s. 4. Supply health organizations with l i t e r a t u r e . 5. Involve COM matriculants. In lin e with such recruitment e f f o r t s , MSU-COM s t a f f actively sought to r e c r u i t minority applicants. In f a c t , 1n MSP's three-year existence 70 v i s i t s were made to Michigan I n s t i t u t i o n s for t h i s purpose. The f i r s t of the two ta b le s below (Table 5) gives general Information about the number of v i s i t s made to public and nonpublic I n s t i t u t i o n s during 1975, 1976, and 1977; the second ta b le (Table 6) I d e n t i f i e s the I n s t i t u t i o n s s p e c i f i c a l l y . 34 Table 5 . —Michigan i n s t i t u t i o n s v is i te d by MSU-COM for recruitment purposes, 1975, 1976, 1977. Public Four-Year Institutions Public Two-Year I n s t i tu t io n s 12 11 11 34 4 3 1 8 1975 1976 1977 Total NonpubHc Institutions Total V isits 16 9 _3 28 32 23 15 70 Admissions.--As a r e s u l t of recruitment obje ctives and e f f o r t s discussed above, MSU-COM Increased the number of m inorities 1n I t s applicant pool. Although the College does not operate with a defined quota system, 1t does use as a guideline f o r equitable representation of minorities 1n I t s entering classe s the portion of minority Individuals 1n the s t a t e r e l a t i v e to the Michigan popu­ la tio n a t large. (Example: I f 15 percent of the population Is com­ posed of m in o r it ie s , the College should make every e f f o r t to admit th a t same percentage of minority stu d e n ts.)* *The following breakdown o f Michigan's population by ethnic group was reported In the 1970 Michigan Census report: Total Michigan Population 8,875,083 White 7,833,474 Total Minority Population 1,041,609 Black 991 ,066 Other Races Total Native Amer. Japanese Chinese F1l1p1no All Other 50,543 16,854 5,221 6,407 3,657 18,404 35 Table 6 . --Frequency of recruitment v i s i t s made by MSU-COM to Michigan I n s t i t u t i o n s , 1975, 1976, 1977. Visited In: 1975 1976 Public Four-Year I n s t i t u t i o n s Central Michigan University Eastern Michigan University F e rris State College Grand Valley S tate Colleges Michigan S tate University Oakland University Saginaw Valley College University of Michigan—Ann Arbor University of Michigan—Dearborn University of Michigan—F lin t Wayne State University Western Michigan University Public Two-Year I n s t i t u t i o n s C. S. Mott Community College Highland Park Community College Kalamazoo Valley Community College Wayne County Community College Schoolcraft College NonoubHc I n s t i t u t i o n s Adrian College Albion College Alma College Aquinas College Calvin College Cleary College General Motors I n s t i t u t e H illsdale College Hope College Madonna College Mercy College Nazareth College Northwood I n s t i t u t e 011vet College Shaw College Siena Heights College Spring Arbor University of D etroit X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 1977 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 36 Tables 7, 8, and 9 below present actual admissions figures for MSU-COM. Table 7 gives class composition figures f o r 1971-1976, while Table 8 breaks down the actual ethnic composition of minori­ t i e s enrolled In the College from 1971-1975. Table 9 furnishes an indication o f how many minority students were a c tu ally admitted from the ava ila ble minority applicant pool from 1974-1977. Table 7 . —MSU-COM major1ty-m1nor1ty enrollment, 1971-1976. 1971-72 Majority students Minority students Total 35 1972-73 63 2(5%) 37 6(9%) 69 1973-74 1974-75 1975-76 67 79 8(10.1%) 18(21%) 17(17%) 76 85 99 68 Total 312 51 367 Table 8. —Ethnic enrollment breakdown, MSU-COM, 1971-1975. Black American American Indian Chlcano Male 21 3 9 33 Female 13 0 2 15 Total 34 3 11 48 Total 37 Table 9 . —Minorities applying versus m inorities admitted to MSU-COM, 1974-1977. # Minorities Applying 0 Minorities Admitted Total Students Admi tte d 1974-75 70 18 85 1975-76 80 17 99 1976-77 103 15 100 Total 253 50 284 School Year Of the 253 minority applicants who applied to MSU-COM, 50 (20 percent) were admitted. Of the 284 students admitted during th is three-year period, minority students (50) represented 17 percent of the MSU-COM c la s s . Retention and financial a i d . —MSU-COM's MSP backed up i t s recruitment and admissions p o lic ie s with a program aimed a t r e t a i n ­ ing and successfully graduating the minority students i t admitted. This program was oriented around meeting the following objectives: 1. Provision o f academic advisement/assistance programs responsive to special concerns, needs, and problems of ethnic m in o rities. 2. I n s t i t u t i o n and development of a t u t o r i a l as sista n ce program to aid students in improving learning s k i l l s . 3. Organization of Informal study groups t o f a c i l i t a t e a sharing of strengths to resolve academic weaknesses. 38 4. Monitoring o f d a l l y , weekly, and monthly academic progress of students to evaluate every aspect o f student perfor­ mance. 5. Improvement of the learning environment along with I n s i s ­ tence on academic excellence and the need to work with the system. The counseling component of MSP, Implied In the f i r s t objec­ ti v e above, was designed 1n an e f f o r t to minimize the feeling o f alie n a tio n experienced by a number of minority m atriculants. This component used a buddy system to a s s i s t Incoming students through the c r i t i c a l adjustment period. In essence, 1t was t h i s system t h a t helped the students develop an awareness of available resources neces­ sary to meet the academic expectations o f MSU-COM. Coleman (1975) claims t h a t 1n counseling minority students the MSP s t a f f stressed the Importance of (1) class attendance, (2) completion of a l l course assignments, (3) e f f e c t i v e use of study time, and (4) a balance of study and le is u r e time. In lin e with these emphases was the early entrance programs estab lish ed by MSP to provide Incoming minority students with motiva­ tional and psychological support. S t a f f and f a cu lty members made presentations r e l a t i v e to t h e i r areas o f r e s p o n s i b ilit y and addressed the College's grading and t e s t i n g procedures and academic expecta­ tio n s . The program also u t i l i z e d educational consultants, who direc ted workshops on study s k i l l s . F i r s t - and second-year students 39 organized the program around areas of concern which affected them when f i r s t admitted. F inally, students experiencing academic d i f f i c u l t y were able, through MSP, to receive free t u t o r i a l a s sista n ce . And, most Impor­ t a n t , th is service was made available without being stigmatized as an Indication of f a i l u r e (Coleman, 1976). In additio n, MSU-COM, through MSP, attempted to a l l e v i a t e any financial problems experienced by I t s minority students by providing them with a l l the necessary Information on aid av a ila ble through Public Health Services scholar­ ships, Equal Opportunity Program fellowships, guaranteed student loans, e tc . Program Successes and Areas for Improvement As a r e s u l t o f I t s commitment to affirm ative ac tio n , MSU-COM achieved several milestones 1n the three years during which the Minority Support Program was 1n operation under the leadership of Don Coleman, Ph.D. 1. These Included the following: Fifty ethnic minority students were admitted to MSU-COM from 1974 to 1976. 2. The College has maintained a 15 percent minority e n r o l l ­ ment since i t s Inception. 3. The College has provided survival mechanisms such as counseling, academic advisement, and t u t o r i a l services fo r minority students. 4. Of the 50 minority students admitted from 1974 to 1976, only s ix have been recessed because of academic reasons. 40 5. Basic and c lin ic a l science fa c u lty and college adminis­ tr a to r s were Involved in various aspects of program development and implementation. 6. Community groups, such as the Michigan Osteopathic Society, were supportive of f in a n c ia l, recruitm ent, and rete n tio n e f f o r t s . 7. Minority le g is la to r s were Involved 1n monitoring progress of the program. 8. The C ollege's comnltment to provide a physician pool fo r diverse groups In Michigan and the la rg e r so c iety was the "foundation stone" o f I t s program. Such successes should not overshadow the need fo r Improvement in c e rta in a re a s, however. F i r s t of a l l , the MSP was discontinued 1n September 1977 due to budget r e s t r a i n t s w ithin the College i t s e l f and the Department of Health, Education, and W elfare's refusal to extend the p ro je c t grant fo r the program. Although MSP services have been Incorporated Into the serv ices provided a l l MSU-COM students by the C ollege's Division of Student A ff a irs , 1t Is Important th a t the College not lose sig h t of MSP's goals and accomplishments. Second, 1n terms o f the need f o r minority students to have ro le models In positions o f au th o rity and Influence, MSU-COM 1s lagging f a r behind. In f a c t , Coleman (1977) reports t h a t during the p ast four y e a rs, the fac u lty has been expanded from 55 to 112 f u ll- tim e members; of th a t number, only four are m ino rities (two employed so le ly by the College and two on j o i n t appointment with another department in the u n iv e rsity a t la r g e ) . There are no minority 41 D.O.s among the 250 unpaid osteopathic physicians who donate approxi­ mately 16,000 hours annually fo r supervision o f off-campus c lin ic a l education. (See Table 10 below.) Table 10.--MSU-C0M fa c u lty appointments, fu ll and p a rt time. Total fac u lty Female fa c u lty Solely Only J o in tly Only D .0.c 112.5 69.07 43.48 20.5(18%) Minority fa c u lty 4.0(.035%) “Solely: 13.50(19%) 2.00{.028%) 31 7.00(17%) 1(7%) 2.00(.046%) 0(0%) appointed by MSU-COM alone ( fu ll tim e). ^ Jo in tly : (part tim e). c0 .0 .: SJo 1ntly{Jnd shares appointment with o th e r department a t MSU osteopathic physician employed f u ll time. CHAPTER I II STUDY DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY Study Design The primary purpose o f t h i s study was to determine whether the recruitm ent and rete n tio n services provided by MSU-COM's Minority Support Program contributed to minority stu d e n ts' successfu lly complet Ing t h e i r graduate program. Toward t h i s end, t h i s researcher examined the undergraduate records, MCAT sc o re s, undergraduate GPAs, size and location of undergraduate college atten ded , m arital s t a t u s , sex, e t h n ic i ty , undergraduate major, graduate work, and age of the 50 minority (Black, Chlcano, Native American) students serving as the study sample (the to ta l number admitted 1n 1974, 1975, and 1976) and divided them Into two groups: gram and those who were not. those who were successful 1n the pro­ These groups and t h e i r c h a r a c te r is tic s then served as a b asis from which to a s c e rta in p red ic to rs fo r student success and f a ilu r e a t MSU-COM. The following hypotheses were used to address these concerns: A-j Ag Socioeconomic background Is re la te d to success In MSU-COM. Socioeconomic background Is not re la te d to success 1n MSU-COM. The siz e and location o f a four-year college i s re la te d to success 1n MSU-COM. Bp The s iz e and locatio n o f a four-year college 1s not re la te d to success In MSU-COM. 42 43 Cj Cp Parental education i s re la te d to success in MSU-COM. Parental education 1s not re la te d to success in MSU-COM. K a 2. a There AP or There AP or w ill be no re la tio n sh ip between m arital s ta tu s and PP. w ill be a re la tio n sh ip between m arital s ta tu s and PP. 2fl There w ill be no re la tio n s h ip between sex and AP or PP. 2jj There w ill be a re la tio n sh ip between sex and AP or PP. 3a There w ill be no re la tio n sh ip between undergraduate college and AP or PP. 3S There w ill be a re la tio n s h ip between undergraduate college 0 and AP o r PP. 4fl There w ill be no r e la tio n s h ip between e th n ic ity and AP or PP. 4b There w ill be a re la tio n sh ip between e th n ic ity and AP or PP. 5* There w ill be no re la tio n sh ip between undergraduate major a and AP or PP. 5h There w ill be a re la tio n sh ip between undergraduate major and AP o r PP. 6. a 6k D There AP or There AP or 7 There w ill be no r e la tio n s h ip between undergraduate college c h a r a c te r i s tic s and AP or PP. There w ill be a re la tio n s h ip between undergraduate college c h a r a c te r is tic s and AP or PP. 7. w ill be no re la tio n s h ip between graduate work and PP. w ill be a r e la tio n s h ip between graduate work and PP. Sample Selection The sample fo r th is study included a l l minority m atriculants to the Michigan S tate U niversity College o f Osteopathic Medicine (MSU-COM) during the 1974, 1975, and 1976 school y e a rs. From a to ta l 44 population of 85 students 1n 1974, 99 students 1n 1975, 100 students 1n 1976, a to ta l of 50 eth n ic m inority students were selected for study. All minority m atriculants admitted during the period of th is study were Included 1n the sample In order to assure a large enough sample (minority m atriculants make up le ss than 17 percent o f the to ta l student body). The sample of eth n ic minority students was f u rth e r divided Into male and female ca teg o rie s. Table 11 provides d e ta ile d recruitm ent r e s u lts fo r MSU-COM over the th ree -y e ar study period. T h irty -fo u r Blacks, 13 Ch1canos, and 3 Native Americans were admitted from 1974 to 1976, figures which, though sm all, cannot be matched by any o th er U.S. college of osteopathic medicine. Table 11.—The sample by eth n ic breakdown, 1974, 1975, 1976. Ethnic Group Black Chlcano Native American Total 1974 M F 8 4 0 IF 6 0 0 S’ T 14 4 0 7F 1975 H F 5 4 2 TT 4 1 1 T 9 5 3 V 1976 M F 9 4 0 TF 2 0 0 F T 11 4 0 T5 The mean age o f the to ta l sample, 27 y e a rs , can be noted 1n Table 12, which c le a r ly reveals th a t the older minority student is looked upon favorably (the low age 1s 20, the high, 43). C learly , the age f a c to r does not a f f e c t MSU-COM*s decision to admit an older minority stud ent. The concern fo r the college 1s the length o f time between a stu d e n t's ap p licatio n and the l a s t time he was en ro lled as 45 a fu ll-tim e stud ent. The ta b le also points out th a t m inority women are generally older than men a t the time of admission. Table 12.--Age s t a t i s t i c s fo r minority m a tricu la n ts, 1974, 1975, 1976. Group Count Mean Standard Deviation Minimum Maximum 1974 1975 1976 Total 18 17 15 50 27.9444 25.0588 27.1333 26.7200 6.5031 4.6834 6.0694 5.8241 20 20 20 20 43 40 39 33 Table 13 furnishes Information on the residency s ta tu s of the 50 admitted minority stu den ts. In f a c t , the residency req uire­ ment was an Important fa c to r 1n determining recruitment p r i o r i t i e s since these eth nic groups are underrepresented 1n the Michigan med1 cal profession and t h e i r communities unserved as a r e s u lt of th is shortage.* Table 13.—Minority residency s t a t u s , 1974, 1975, 1976. Black 1974 1975 1976 Total Chlcano Ins ta te Outsta te Ins ta te Outs ta te 10 8 5 23 4 1 6 TT 2 2 1 J 2 3 3 8 American Indian In­ Outs ta te sta te 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 *Because MSU-COM 1s p a rt of a s ta te i n s t i t u t i o n , 1t has a re s p o n s ib ility to the c itiz e n s o f Michigan to admit prim arily Michigan re sid e n ts. In f a c t , 1t 1s the trend among a l l state-su p p o rted medical schools to make the m ajority o f t h e i r admitted students s t a t e re s id e n ts . 46 Thirty-one of the 50 students were legal resid e n ts of Michigan. Chicanos are the only group represented by a la rg e r o u t- o f - s ta te num­ ber, and t h i s Is due to the fa c t th a t within the s ta te o f Michigan the drop-out ra te a t the secondary level (high school) 1s so high (Knickerbocker, 1978). Measures of Academic Performance (AP and PP) In attempting to divide the sample group Into successful and unsuccessful students In terms of academic performance, t h i s w rite r u tiliz e d two measures: percentage of academic q u arters on probation (AP) and percentage of courses passed (PP). To determine percentage o f courses passed, the t o ta l number of cla sse s taken was divided into classes in which a pass grade was earned. When to ta l number o f quar­ t e r s enrolled 1n MSU-COM was divided by the number o f q u arters on academic probation, the percentage of q u arters on probation was attain ed . I t is in te r e s tin g to note a t th is point with regard to retention ra te s th a t MSU-COM employs a pass-no grade system in an e f f o r t to create a more relaxed atmosphere. The philosophy behind such a procedure is based on the C ollege's b e l ie f th a t 1f students are not concerned with c la ss ranking there is a g re a te r likelihood o f th e ir working tog eth er as a family (Boyle & Coombs, 1974). Such a notion c le a r ly r e f le c ts MSU-COM's w h o listlc approach to education and i t s concern t h a t a student not be hampered 1n his e f f o r t s to perform by f ie r c e competitiveness and fe a r o f f a i l u r e . is th a t: The b e l i e f 47 1. A pass-no grade system w ill not give stu den ts a numeri­ cal rank, which seems to be important to high academic achievers. 2. A numerical grading system seems to warrant more Indi­ vidual and le ss group studying, a general lack of sharing Information. The key word 1n defining the pass-no grade system Is compe­ tency le v e l. This can b est be explained by the following protocol for Anatomy 565, outlined by course coordinator Allen W. Jacobs, Ph.D.: A. B. Medical students w ill receive the grade P or N upon comple­ tio n of a l l examinations In Anaton\y 565. P ■ a fin al course average of 85% {340 points) on a l l examinations and no score less than 75% (60 p oints) on any u n it examination. N » a fin a l course average of le ss than 85% (60 p o in ts ). A s p e c if ic remedial program w ill be recommended fo r a student who receives the grade N. This may include enrollment 1n a d irec ted stu d ies (special problems) course or re-enrollm ent 1n ANT 565. The following ta b le s (Tables 14 and 15) furnish s t a t i s t i c s on the re s u lts o f such an approach admitted to fo r the 50 minority students MSU-COM 1n 1974, 1975, and 1976. Table 14 d istin g u ish e s among members of the minority sample by using percentage o f terms on academic probation (AP). There were 24 students who were never on academic probation during the period o f th is study, which accounts fo r 48 percent o f the sample. The remaining 52 percent were on AP a t l e a s t 8 percent of t h e i r q u arters 1n attendance. The number of qu arters en ro lled 1n MSU-COM divided by the number o f quarters on AP w ill compute the percentage of 48 quarters a student was on AP. Since the d is tr ib u tio n "broke" In th is manner, 1t was decided to dichotomize the AP variable and sub* j e c t 1t to a discrim inant an a ly sis. (This technique 1s described on page 51.) Table 14.**Percentage of terms on academic probation (AP). % of Terms on Academic Probation 0 8 13 17 20 25 33 40 42 50 58 67 75 80 90 91 100 Total Frequency (if of Students) 24 2 2 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 _4 50 Relative Frequency (% o f Sample on AP) 48 4 4 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 2 8 100 Table 15 d istin g u ish e s among members o f the minority sample by using percentage o f courses passed (PP). There were 27 students who passed 94 percent of t h e i r courses, which accounts fo r 54 percent o f the sample. The remaining 46 percent passed le s s than 94 percent o f courses taken; two of these passed le ss than 50 percent of courses taken. The number of classe s passed divided by the t o t a l number of 49 Table 15.—Percentage of courses passed (PP). Percentage of Classes Passed 14 47 63 71 73 75 76 80 81 84 65 87 87 88 88 89 90 91 91 92 92 93 94 94 94 94 95 95 95 95 97 97 98 98 98 98 100 Total Frequency (# of Students) R elative Frequency (% of Sample Passing Courses) 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 22 100 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 50 50 classes taken w ill compute the percentage of courses passed (PP) by a stu d ent. In order to make the analysis o f PP c o n siste n t with th a t of AP, 1t was decided to dichotomize t h i s v aria b le as w ell. In f a c t , 1n the case of both v a r ia b le s , AP and PP, such dlchotomlzatlons w ill make the data an aly sis more Inmedlately comprehensible 1n th a t the mean d ifferen ces on the p re d ic to r variables w ill be c o e ff i­ cien ts (In a regressions a n a ly s is ). Analysis Procedures Certain s t a t i s t i c a l techniques were applied to the data j u s t c ite d . Those techniques are described below, and the ra tio n a le fo r t h e i r use In t h i s study Is provided as w ell. Ch1-Square The ch1-square technique t e s t s the s t a t i s t i c a l sig n ific an c e of the re la tio n sh ip s between d is c r e te variables and looks a t the d ifference between the actual count 1n the resp ectiv e ce ll and the count which Is expected purely on the b asis o f chance. I f th ere 1s no re la tio n sh ip between the v a ria b le s , these counts should be almost equal, and the ch1-square value 1n t h i s case would be sm all. However, I f there 1s a r e la tio n s h ip between the v a ria b le s , the count should d i f f e r and the ch1-square value should be la rg e . The w rite r used chi-square to best determine the sig n ific an c e of the v ariab les te s te d . For example, Table 38 1n Chapter IV In d i­ cates the number of males and females who were o r were not on AP. The ch1-square value o f .01924 and the associated sig n ific an c e level 51 o f .8877 show th a t sex and academic probation are not s ig n if ic a n tly re la te d . In c o n tra s t, a large chi-square value and a small s i g n i f i ­ cance level would In d icate a s t a t i s t i c a l l y s ig n if ic a n t r e la tio n between the v a ria b le s. A s im ila r comparison Id e n tifie d d ifferen ces between minority m atricu lan ts. The two most Important assumptions of the chi-square t e s t f o r contingency were: 1. Observations should be randomly sampled from the popula­ tio n of I n te r e s t. 2. Observations should be Independent. In th is study the e n t ir e population was sampled, and the observations on a l l v ariab les were Independent o f each o th er. When c h a r a c te r is tic s being considered are continuous v ariab les th a t have been catego rized, as 1n t h i s study, the ch1-square t e s t w ill y ie ld the b est r e s u l t s . Borg and Gall (1973} also point out th a t th is method 1s probably the most frequently used 1n casual comparative stu d ie s. Discriminant Analysis Another s t a t i s t i c a l technique used to examine the data and define r e la tio n s h ip s among the v ariab les l i s t e d a t the beginning of th i s chapter was discrim inant an aly sis 1n which p re d ic to r v ariables th a t d i f f e r e n t i a t e between two or more groups are determined. Here the an aly sis was conducted to e s ta b lis h which p re d ic to r variab les best discrim inated between the 26 m atriculants who were on AP fo r one or more terms and those who were not. This method w ill also 52 y ie ld discrim inant weights which can then be used to m ultiply an a p p lic a n t's scores on the admissions v a ria b le s. By s u b s titu tin g discrim inant weights: C, ** discrim inant weight fo r MCAT-sdence (Medical College Admissions Test science score) Cp B discrim inant weight fo r U.G. GPA (undergraduate grade point average) Cq * a constant term An equation was developed to p re d ic t academic success of minority group m atricu lan ts. ZD.F. = C1 (MCAT-Scl) + C2 (U.G. GPA) - CQ 2D.F. ■ Discriminant function score When the above equation was employed, a discrim inant function was computed fo r each student 1n the sample. Next the student was c la s s if ie d 1n the group with the mean discrim inant score which was c lo s e s t to the score of th a t stu d en t. For example, I f the s tu d e n t's score was c lo s e r t o the mean of the AP group, the student was c l a s s i ­ fied 1n th a t group. Table 16 gives the discrim inant weights fo r MCAT-sc1ence (.927) and U.G. GPA (.293) used 1n p red ic tin g academic success. The standard discrim inant weight column provides th is information as 1t r e la te s to the o th er v ariables l i s t e d . The w rite r notes t h a t the weights fo r MCAT average, U.G. science GPA (undergraduate science grade point average), and age could not be computed as t h e ir s ig ­ nificance was small. Consequently, these v ariab les were o f l i t t l e 53 sig n ific a n c e ; as Klecka (1975) s t a t e s , the siz e o f the weights is proportional to the p red ic tiv e value o f the v aria b les receiving consideration. Table 16.--R esu lts of discrim inant analysis o f percentage of terms on academic probation (AP). P redictor Variable D iffe r­ ence (Uni­ v a ria te ) F Ratio S1g. MCAT Science U.G. GPA MCAT Q uantitative MCAT General MCAT Verbal U.G. Non-Sc1. GPA MCAT Average U.G. Science GPA Age 104.00 0.14 69.00 50.00 43.00 0.17 67.00 0.13 -2.00 18.17 2.35 9.03 4.93 3.56 2.84 14.06 1.71 1.29 .01 N.S. .01 .05 .10 .10 .01 N.S. N.S. Key: Std. Dlscrlm. Weight - .927 .2930 .211 .154 .077 - .072 — — — Slg, .00 .10 N.S, N.S, N.S, N.S, — — -- MCAT « Medical College Admissions Test U.G. = Undergraduate GPA ■ Grade Point Average The d ifferen ce column In Table 16 shows the d iffe re n ce 1n the means fo r the two groups of m inority students In the sample. For example, students not on AP scored an average o f 104 points higher on MCAT-sclence than students on AP. U nivariate F r a t i o te s te d the sig n ific an c e o f differen ce between the mean of both groups. The next column addresses the s t a t i s t i c a l sig n ific a n c e o f t h i s d i f f e r ­ ence ( e . g . , the d iffe re n ce 1n mean scores on MCAT-sclence 1s s ig n if ic a n t 54 a t the .01 le v e l) . The th ir d and fourth columns give the d isc rim i­ nant weights and t h e i r levels o f s t a t i s t i c a l sig n ific a n c e . Trend Analysis A trend analysis was u til iz e d to determine I f th ere was a s ig n if ic a n t d ifferen ce In the means of the v a ria b le s . This an aly sis Id e n tifie d any such trends th a t might p re d ic t stu den t performance. Table 17 1s an example of a c u rv ilin e a r trend ( I l l u s t r a t e d 1n Figure 1) of the sample's undergraduate (U.G.) science GPA; th a t 1s, the mean o f each enterin g class did not Increase as compared to the same mean fo r the p rio r c la s s . ** Table 17.—Trend an aly sis: Science GPA, 1974, 1975, 1976. Group Count Mean 1974 1975 1976 Total 18 17 15 50 2.6978 2.9688 2.8160 2.8254 Total Group Group Mean Standard Deviation .2952 .4134 .2800 3.487 1974 2.6978 1976 2.8160 Figure 1 I l l u s t r a t e s a c u r v ilin e a r tren d . 1975 2.9688 55 c 10 aci au•> c ai 461 439 *t* o in § 396 1974 1975 1976 Class Figure 1 . —C urvilinear tren d . I f the trend were lin e a r , on the oth er hand, the mean score of a variable would Increase with each c la s s . sample's MCAT science score gave such a trend. An analysis of the Table 18 furnishes MCAT science score means of the respective c la s s e s . Table 18.—Trend analysis: MCAT-sclence score mean, 1974, 1975, 1976. Group Count Mean 1974 1975 1976 18 17 15 396.1767 438.5294 461.0667 Total 50 430.0436 Total Group Group Mean Standard Deviation 73.6352 113.8497 105.9814 100.3178 1974 396.1767 1975 438.5394 56 Figure 2 I l l u s t r a t e s a lin e a r trend. 3.0 2. 8 2.7 1974 1975 1976 Class Figure 2 .—Linear trend. The w rite r had o r ig in a lly hypothesized th a t the academic preparation of students a t the undergraduate level should Improve from year to year. With reference to the undergraduate science mean (Table 23), 1t 1s obvious th is did not occur over the three years of the study. Summary The purpose of these methods was to provide an accurate comparison of data on the study v ariables among the respectiv e classes and thus determine the b est p re d ic to r variables fo r academic success fo r a minority m atriculant 1n MSU-COM. CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS Introduction The focus o f th is In v estig atio n has been the re la tio n sh ip between academic and demographic p re d ic to r v ariab les and minority m atriculant success or f a ilu r e a t MSU-COM. These students were admitted as a r e s u lt of e f f o r ts by the Minority Support Program, a program charged with the task o f Increasing the representation o f minority groups 1n the physician population by re c ru itin g and then admitting q u a lity minority students to the College o f Osteo­ path ic Medicine. The sample was divided 1n several ways: by sex, e t h n ic i ty , y ear admitted, and percentage o f terms on academic proba­ tio n and percentage of courses passed, 1n order to make comparisons o f the students on AP and those not on AP. {AP and PP are strongly re la te d because whether a student is on AP n a tu ra lly depends on PP.) Additional hypotheses were formulated p erta in in g to the r e la tio n ­ ships between academic and demographic p re d ic to r variables and m inority stu d en ts. In th is chapter a l l hypotheses are discussed by variables as they r e l a t e to AP and PP. The ch1-square t e s t was employed to determine the s t a t i s t i c a l sig n ific an c e between v a r ia b le s , and d is ­ criminant an aly sis was employed to determine p re d ic to r variables t h a t d i f f e r e n t i a t e between the two groups, students on AP and those 57 58 not on AP. F in ally , trend analysis was u tiliz e d to determine I f there were s ig n if ic a n t trends in the means o f the v ariab les over the period of the study; fo r example, whether or not the v ariable performance level Increased with each entering c la s s . Data were co llec ted from MSP p ro ject reports and stu d en ts' academic fo ld ers. In an e f f o r t to more e f f e c tiv e ly address the study hypothe­ ses, the analysis was then conducted to determine I f th ere ex isted a s ig n if ic a n t differen ce between the two groups. The .05 level of sig n ific an c e was adopted fo r s t a t i s t i c a l decisions in t h i s in v e s ti­ g atio n , the level commonly chosen by researchers in education. Original Study Hypotheses The following were the th ree o rig in al hypotheses believed to id e n tify the academic and demographic measures re la te d to minority m a tricu la n ts' success a t MSU-COM. However, data on the su b jects of these hypotheses were not a v a ila b le . As a r e s u l t , the w r ite r had to re ly on the findings o f two re la te d stu d ies; The Markert and West study (1978), conducted a t MSU-COM, and the Student National Medical Association and the American Association of Medical Colleges study (1974). These stu d ies provided the research er with the mate­ r i a l discussed below. 1. Socioeconomic background In the design of t h i s study, 1s re la te d to success a t MSU-COM. based on the SNMA andAAMC study, th i s f a c to r seemed to be of major sig n ific an c e and warranted con­ sid e ra tio n . However, since MSU-COM stu den ts are processed by the Central Financial Aids O ffice, which services the to ta l MSU population 59 (approximately 40.000), and because o f the Student Privacy Act, the only Information av ailab le re la te d to the stu d e n ts' fin an c ial need was a "Yes, I did" or "No, I did not" receive aid . Nevertheless, of the 50 m atriculants 1n the population 1t was determined th a t only three received le ss than 25 percent of the medical school expense through fin ancial aid (MSP annual re p o rt). 2. The siz e and location of a four-year college 1s re la te d to success 1n MSU-COM. Based on the SNMA and AAMC study, t h i s variab le also seemed to warrant consideration. However, a number of students had taken courses a t community co lleg e s, which would mean the four-year co l­ leges were not the only s tr u c tu re providing academic preparation fo r medical school. This study did reveal th a t students experiencing academic d i f f i c u l t y had taken courses a t community c o lleg e s. There­ fore there was no re la tio n sh ip between (a) siz e and AP or PP and (b) locatio n and AP or PP. 3. Parental education 1s re la te d to success 1n MSU-COM. No Information was a v a ila b le to t e s t t h i s v a ria b le . However, the assumption made from discussing t h i s v ariab le with m atriculants was th a t 1n fu tu re classes t h i s w ill be a f a c to r as t h e i r s ib lin g s w ill have the b e n e fit o f a family with an educational exposure. m ajority o f the parents of m inority m atriculants a t MSU-COM are employed in a nonprofessional job requiring lim ited education. Tables 19, 20, and 21 In d icate the r e s u lts dealing with Hypothesis 2. The 60 Table 19 shows th a t 13 stu d e n ts, approximately 45 percent o f the sample who attended Michigan co lleg e s, had been on AP. the to ta l sample, 26 had been on PP. Of There was a n o nsig nifican t re la tio n sh ip between AP and lo catio n of undergraduate college attended. Table 19.—AP by location of undergraduate college attended. Undergraduate College Probationary Status No Probation Academic Probation Row Total Michigan 13 44.8 16 55.2 29 58.0 Central® 3 60.0 2 40.0 5 10.0 South Westb 6 66.7 3 33.3 9 18.0 Otherc 4 57J 3 ■ 42.9 7 14.0 26 52.0 24 48.0 50 100.0 Column to ta l Ch1-square s 1.57572 P < .6649 a Ill1no1s, Ohio, Wisconsin. C a lifo rn ia , F lo rid a , Texas. cA1abama, Kansas, M ississip p i, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, V irginia. Tables 20 and 21 in d ic ate a n o nsig n ificant re la tio n s h ip between (population) and AP or PP, resp e ctiv e ly . 61 Table 2 0 .—AP by siz e of undergraduate co lleg e. Undergraduate College Size Probationary Status_________ Academic Probation No Probation Row Total GT 5,000a 19 50.0 19 50.0 38 76.0 LE 5,000b 7 58.3 5 41.7 12 24.0 26 52.0 24 48.0 50 100.0 Column to ta l Ch1-square = .2537 P < .60 * aGT ■ g re a te r than 5,000. bLE ■ le s s than 5,000. Table 21.—PP by s iz e of undergraduate college, Undergraduate College Size % of Courses Passed LE 94a GT 94b Row Total GT 5,000 21 55.3 17 44.7 38 76.0 LE 5,000 4 33.3 8 66.7 12 24.0 25 50.0 25 50.0 50 100.0 Column to ta l Ch1-square B 1.7544 P < .18 ale s s than 94 percent of courses taken passed. ^Greater than 94 percent of courses taken passed. 62 Table 20 shows th a t 50 percent o f the 38 students who attended undergraduate colleges g re a te r 1n s iz e than 5,000 students had been on AP, and approximately 58 percent of the 12 students attending colleges of le ss than 5,000 had been on AP. Of the 26 students experiencing AP, 19 attended colleges g re a te r 1n siz e than 5,000. There was a nonsignificant re la tio n sh ip between AP and undergraduate college s iz e . Table 21 reveals th a t o f the 38 students who attended col­ leges g re a te r 1n siz e than 5,000, 21 had passed le ss than 94 percent of courses taken. Four of the 12 students who attended undergraduate colleges with less than 5,000 students passed le ss than 94 percent o f courses taken. There was a n o n sign ificant re la tio n sh ip between PP and undergraduate college s iz e . Trend Analysis Trend analysis 1t w ill was used to evaluate time s e rie s data because best determine 1f time has had a s ig n if ic a n t e f f e c t on the pouplatlon regarding admission. The researcher believed th a t each y ear the academic q u a lity of the minority pool had increased: following variables address th is b e l ie f . The Each v ariab le was compared by a trend analysis to the same v ariab le 1n the th ree en terin g c la sse s. The lin e a r term t e s t s fo r an Increase or decrease 1n the means on the dependent variab le as a function o f the year. Devia­ tio n s from lin e a r i t y t e s t f o r a c u r v ilin e a r Increase or decrease 1n the means on the dependent variab le as a function o f the y ear. 63 Entering C h a ra c te ristic s of Minority M atriculants Table 22 shows th a t the science grade point average was not lin e a r ly re la te d to year. was found (P < .036). However, a s ig n if ic a n t c u rv ilin e a r trend Table 23 reveals th a t the undergraduate science grade point average mean did not Increase with each c la s s . In f a c t , the 1975 class had the hig hest mean 1n r e la tio n to the v ariab le and the 1974 c l a s s , the lowest mean. a Table 2 2.—Analysis of variance o f undergraduate science GPA. Source n p u *r - Sum of Squares Mean Squares F-Ratlo F-Prob. Linear term Dev. from lin e a r Within groups 1 1 47 .1144 .5298 5.3142 .1144 .5298 .1131 .939 4.686 .337 .036 Total 49 5.9584 aGPA = grade point average. Table 23.—U.G.a science mean by year. Group Count Mean Standard Deviation 1974 1975 1976 Total Total group Group Mean 18 17 15 50 2.6978 2.9688 2.8160 2.8254 .2952 .4134 .2800 3.4870 1974 2.6978 aU.G. = undergraduate. 1976 2.8160 1975 2.9688 64 Table 24 Indicates th a t undergraduate nonscience grade point average was not lin e a r ly re la te d to year. However, the c u rv ilin e a r trend approached sig n ifican ce (P < .095). Table 25 shows th a t under­ graduate nonscience grade point average mean did not Increase with each class 1n th a t the 1975 class had the highest mean 1n re la tio n to the variab le and the 1974 c la s s , the lowest mean. Table 2 4 .—Analysis of variance of U.G. nonscience GPA. Source D.F. Sum of Squares Mean Squares F-Rat1o F-Prob. Linear term Dev. from lin e a r Within groups 1 1 47 .0564 .3943 6.3936 .0564 .3943 .1360 .399 2.899 .531 .095 Total 49 6.8443 Table 25.—U.G. nonscience mean by year. Group Count Mean Standard Deviation .2497 .3826 .4623 1974 1975 1976 18 17 15 2.8783 3.1035 2.9613 Total 50 2.9798 Total group .3737 65 Table 26 I l l u s t r a t e s th a t undergraduate grade point average was not lin e a r ly rela ted to the y e a r, though a s ig n if ic a n t c u rv ilin e a r trend was found (P < .048). And Table 27 reveals th a t the under­ graduate grade point average did not Increase with each c la s s : The 1975 cla ss had the highest mean 1n r e la tio n to the v a ria b le , and the 1974 c l a s s , the lowest. ta b le 26.—Analysis of variance o f U.G. o v er-all GPA. Source n p u . Sum of Squares Mean Squares F-Rat1o F-Prob. Linear term Dev. from lin e a r Within groups 1 1 47 .0495 .4248 4.8367 .0495 .4248 .1029 .452 4.128 .505 .048 Total 49 5.3110 Table 27.--U.G. GPA mean by year. Group Count Mean Standard Deviation .2754 .3600 .3245 1974 1975 1976 18 17 V5 2.7889 3.0188 2.8667 Total 50 2.8904 Total qroup .3292 66 Table 28 shows th a t the MCAT-verbal score approached a lin e a r re la tio n sh ip to the year (P < .142), but a n on sig nifican t lin e a r trend was found. Table 29 confirms th is finding by In dicatin g th a t the MCAT-verbal score mean did Increase with each c la s s . The 1976 class had the highest mean In r e la tio n to the v ariab le and the 1974 c la s s , the lowest mean. Table 28.--A nalysis of variance of MCAT-verbal. Source D.F. Sum of Squares Mean Squares F-Rat1o F-Prob Linear term Dev. from lin e a r Within groups 1 1 47 15141.8667 106.7049 326010.9804 15141.8667 106.7049 6936.4038 2.229 .015 .142 .902 Total 49 341259.5520 Table 29.--MCAT- verbal mean by year. Group Count Mean Standard Deviation 78.0294 92.5378 78.1452 1974 1975 1976 18 17 15 412.6472 429.1172 455.6667 Total 50 431.1530 Total group 83.4535 67 The figures 1n Table 30 I l l u s t r a t e th a t the MCAT-quantitative score was not lin e a r l y r e la te d to the year despite the f a c t t h a t a s i g n i f ic a n t cu r v ilin e a r trend was found (P < .054). And Table 30 shows t h a t the MCAT-quantitative score mean did not increase with each class in th a t the 1975 class had the highest mean 1n r e la tio n to the varia ble and the 1974 c l a s s , the lowest mean. Table 30.--Analysis of variance of MCAT-quantitative. Source D.F, Sum of Squares Mean Squares F-Ratio F-Prob. Linear term Dev. from lin e a r Within group 1 1 47 24450.9091 26589.5223 32016.5636 24450.9091 26589.5223 6811.9483 3.385 3.903 .072 .054 Total 49 371202.0000 Table 31.--MCAT-quantitative by year. Count Group Mean Standard Deviation 79.7053 91.3743 74.9158 1974 1975 1976 18 17 15 405.0000 478.5294 459.6667 Total Total Group 50 445.4000 87.0376 AP: Group Mean 1974 405.0000 1976 459.6667 Non-AP: Group Mean 1976 459.6667 1975 478.5394 68 Table 32 Indicates th a t the MCAT-sclence score approached a l i n e a r r e la tio n s h ip to the year (P < .064). l i n e a r trend was found. Yet a nonsignific ant The figures 1n Table 33 Indicate t h a t the MCAT-sc1ence score mean did Increase with each c la ss: The 1976 c lass had the highest mean In r e l a t i o n to the variable and the 1974 c l a s s , the lowest mean. Table 32.--Analysis of variance of MCAT-sclence. Source D.F. Sum of Squares Mean Squares Linear term Dev. from lin e a r Within group 1 1 47 45561.2808 1854.7773 456813.6392 34451.2808 1854.7773 9719.4391 Total 49 493119.6974 F-Rat1o F-Prob 3.605 .191 .064 .664 Table 33.—MCAT-sclence by year. Group Count Mean 1974 1975 1976 18 17 15 398.1767 438.5294 461.0667 Total 50 430.0436 Total Group Group Mean Standard Deviation 73.6352 113.8497 105.9814 100.3178 1974 396.1767 1975 438.5394 1976 461.0667 69 Chi-Square Analysis o f Performance Variables Chi-square analysis addressed the performance of minority matriculants a t MSU-COM by evaluating performance as 1t re la te d to PP and AP. There was a nonsignific ant r e la tio n sh ip between entering c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of minority matriculants and the percentage of terms on academic probation (AP) and the percentage of courses passed (PP). Table 34 shows t h a t 50 percent of the 18 admitted to the 1974 class passed less than 94 percent of t h e i r courses, as did 41 percent of the 17 admitted to the 1975 c l a s s , 60 percent o f the 15 admitted to the 1976 c l a s s , and 25, or 50 percent of the t o t a l sample. The figures 1n Table 35 Indicate t h a t 60 percent of the 18 admitted to the 1974 class had been on AP, as were 47 percent of the 17 admitted to the 1975 c l a s s , 46 percent o f the 15 admitted to the 1976 c l a s s , and 26, or 52 percent of the t o t a l sample. Table 34.—PP by year. Year % of Courses Passed LE 94 GT 94 Row Total 1976 9 50.0 7 41.2 9 60.0 9 50.0 10 58.8 6 40.0 18 36.0 17 34.0 15 30.0 Column t o ta l 25 50.0 25 50.0 50 100.0 1974 1975 Chi-square e 1,12941 P < ,6263 70 Table 35.—AP by year. rear Probationary Status-------Academic Probation No Probation Row Tota, 1974 11 61.1 7 38.9 18 36.0 1975 8 47.1 9 52.9 17 34.0 1976 7 46.7 8 53.3 15 30.0 Column t o ta l 26 52.0 24 48.0 50 100.0 Ch1-square s .93588 P < .5685 The original hypotheses were not e f f e c t iv e 1n identifying c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of the successful and unsuccessful minority matricu­ la n t since the points focused on by the hypotheses were generally addressed with a "yes" or "no" 1n MSU-COM records, as a r e s u l t of the Student Privacy Act. However, through the use of the data th a t were ava ila b le , a s e t of additional hypotheses, which are c r i t i c a l to the general questions of the study, were developed. These hypotheses are l i s t e d here in t h e i r research and null form followed by tables and discussion of data 1n those ta b le s . 1 : Research Hypothesis--There will be a r e la tio n s h ip between marital sta tu s and AP and PP. 1.: D Null Hypothesis—There will be no r e la tio n s h ip between marital sta tu s and AP and PP. 71 The marital s ta tu s of minority students is a variable which addresses the amount o f financial aid needed. I f the spouse 1s working» the need may be l e s s , whereas i f the spouse is taking care of childre n, the need may be gre a te r. The spouse may also be a support person (emotional), esp e c ia lly i f the medical school is In a comnunity with a small minority population. The SNMA and AAMC study supports these assumptions; moreover, the most s ig n i f i c a n t r e s u l t of th a t study was th a t a g r e a t e r percentage of minority s t u ­ dents were married In comparison to majority students when entering medical school. There is a nonsignific ant re la tio n sh ip between marital sta tu s and AP and PP. Table 36 shows t h a t 14, or 16 percent of the sample were single students on AP, while 12, or 10 percent of the sample were married students on AP. The t o ta l sample included 30 single students and 20 married students, with the g r e a t e s t division of students 1n the s in g l e , not on AP category. Table 36.—AP by marital s t a t u s . Marital Status Probationary Status Academic Probation No Probation Row Total Single Married 14 (15.6) 12 (10.4) 16 (14.4) 8 ( 9.6) 30 20 Column to ta l 26 24 50 Ch1-square = .855 P < .300 72 Table 37 indicates th a t 16, or 15 percent of the sample were single students who passed le ss than 94 percent of t h e i r courses, whereas 9, or 10 percent of the sample were married students who passed le ss than 94 percent of t h e i r courses. Table 37.—PP by marital s t a t u s . Marital Status % of Coursesi Passed GT 94 LE 94 Single Married 16 (15) 9 (10) Column to ta l 25 Row Total 14 (15) 11 (10) 25 30 20 50 Ch1-square ** .333 P < .600 2 : Research Hypothesis—There will be a r e la tio n s h ip between sex and AP or PP. 2h: Null Hypothesis—There w ill be no re la tio n sh ip between sex and AP or PP. The SNMA and AAMC study pointed out t h a t there i s a greater number o f female matriculants among minority students than among majority students. A major f a c t o r contributing to t h i s finding was tha t in two o f the ethnic groups 1n question the educational level o f the mother was co n s iste n tly higher than th a t o f the f a t h e r . In the t h i r d group, the Chlcano group, the f a th e r had a tta in e d a higher education le v e l. The SNMA and AAMC study did not s p e c i f i c a l l y address performance 1n r e la t i o n t o sex, whereas the Markert and West 73 study (1978) sta ted t h a t there was a nonsignificant relationsh ip between academic performance and sex for the MSU-COM classes of 1977 and 1978. There 1s a nonsignific ant re la tio n sh ip between sex and AP or PP. Table 38 I l l u s t r a t e s th a t 7, or 50 percent of the females had been on AP, along with 19, or 52 percent 26, or 52 percent of the males and of the t o ta l sample. Table 38.--AP by sex. Probationary Status Academic Probation No Probation Sex Row Total Female 7 50.0 7 50.0 14 28.0 Male 19 52.8 17 47.2 36 72.0. Column t o ta l 26 52.0 24 48.0 50 100.0 Ch1-square ■ .01924 P < .8897 Table 39 shows th a t 7, or 50 percent of the females passed less than 94 percent of t h e i r courses, whereas 18, or 50 percent of the males and 25, or 50 percent the same number. o f the t o t a l sample passed * o f C.°“rses- P-?.s!ied LE 94 GT 94 Sex Row Total Female 7 50.0 7 50.0 14 28.0 Male 18 50.0 18 50.0 36 72.0 Column t o ta l 25 50.0 25 50.0 50 100.0 Chi square = .09921 P < .7528 3 : Research Hypothesis—There will be a r e la tio n s h i p between undergraduate college and AP or PP. 3b : Null Hypothesis—There w ill be no r e la tio n s h i p between undergraduate college and AP or PP. The Markert and West study (1978) Indicates th a t there 1s a nonsignificant r e la tio n s h ip between academic performance and the undergraduate college which granted the m a tr i c u la n t's Bachelors degree. I t does appear, however, t h a t 1n the case of MSU-COM, minority students experiencing academic d i f f i c u l t y had taken course work a t community colleges where the population consisted of a number of part-tim e students. The author points out t h a t a f a c to r to be considered 1n t h i s finding may be the level o f d i f f i c u l t y of courses offered a t a four-year I n s t i t u t i o n (MSU); educators generally agree the community college curriculum 1s le ss demanding. There 1s a nonsignificant r e la tio n s h i p between undergraduate college and AP or PP. 75 Table 40 shows 13, or 44 percent of the 29 students attend­ ing Michigan undergraduate colleges had been on AP, as were 25, or 50 percent o f the sample. And Table 41 Indicates th a t 14, or 48 percent o f the 29 students attending Michigan undergraduate col­ leges passed le ss than 94 percent o f t h e i r courses, as did 25, or 50 percent o f the sample. Table 40.—AP by location of U.G. college. U.G. College Probationary Status Academic Probation No Probation Row Total Michigan 13 44.8 16 55.2 29 58.0 South West 6 66.7 3 33.3 9 18.0 Other 4 57.1 3 42.9 7 14.0 Central 3 60.0 2 40.0 5 10.0 Column t o t a l 26 52.0 24 48.0 50 100.0 Ch1-square ■ 1.57572 P < .6649 76 Table 41.—PP by location of U.G. college. U.G. College % of Courses Passed GT 94 LE 94 Row Total Michigan 14 48.3 15 51.7 29 58.0 South West 4 44.4 5 55.6 9 18.0 Other 5 71.4 2 28.6 7 14.0 Central 2 40.0 3 60.0 5 10.0 Column t o ta l 25 50.0 25 50.0 50 100.0 Ch1-square = 1.63131 P < .6523 4fl: Research Hypothesis—There will be a r e la tio n sh ip between e t h n ic i ty and percentage of terms on AP or PP. 4fa: Null Hypothesis—There will be no re la tio n sh ip between e t h n i c i t y and AP or PP. For the classes of 1977 and 1978 the Markert and West study (1978) a r t i c u l a t e s a sig nificance a t the .001 le v el. Majority s t u ­ dents performed an average o f 1.29 standard deviation points higher than minority students 1n the class of 1977 and 1.043 standard devia­ tion points higher than minority students in the class o f 1978. The author points out these figures do not n ecessarily mean th a t minority students are unsuccessful but merely provide a basis f o r comparison between the two groups. This f a c t o r may be an ind ication of the 77 q u a l ity of one's preprofessional education, according to the SNMA and AAMC study. There 1s a s i g n i f i c a n t r ela tio n sh ip (P < .0333) between e t h n ic i ty and PP and a nonsignificant r e la tio n sh ip between e t h n ic i ty and AP. The figures 1n Table 42 I l l u s t r a t e t h a t 21, or 62 percent o f the 34 Black students passed le ss than 94 percent of t h e i r courses as did 4, or 30 percent of the CMcanos; 3 American Indians passed gr e a te r than 94 percent of courses taken. F ifty percent of the sample passed less than 94 percent. Table 42.—PP by e t h n i c i t y . Ethnicity % of Courses Passed LE 94 GT 94 Row Total Black 21 61.8 13 38.2 34 68.0 Chlcano 4 30.8 9 69.2 13 26.0 0 0.0 3 100.0 3 6.0 25 50.0 25 50.0 50 100.0 American Indian Column t o ta l Ch1-square ■ 6.80543 P < .0333 Table 43 shows t h a t 19, or 60 percent students and 7, or 54 percent of the 34 Black of the Ch1canos had been on AP, 78 whereas of the American Indians, none had been on AP. Fifty-two percent of the e n t i r e sample had been on AP. Table 43.—AP by e t h n i c i t y . Probationary Status Academic Probation No Probation Ethnicity Row Total Black 19 55.9 15 44.1 34 68.0 Chlcano 7 53.8 6 46.2 13 26.0 0 0.0 • 3 100.0 3 6.0 26 52.0 24 48.0 50 100.0 American Indian Column to ta l Ch1-square * 3.47307 P < .1761 5 : Research Hypothesis—There will be a r e la tio n s h ip between undergraduate major and AP or PP. 5fa: Null Hypothesis—There will be no r e la tio n sh ip between undergraduate major and AP o r PP. The Markert and West (1978) study finds no s i g n i f i c a n t diffe re nce 1n the performance of minority matriculants as i t r e l a t e s to one's undergraduate major. In f a c t , the author would lik e to point out th a t students have been admitted to MSU-COM with majors outside the f i e l d o f science; examples Include journalism, business, and education, to name a few. Since the minority student 1s gen­ e r a l l y o ld e r, the study emphasizes an undergraduate degree program 79 may be completed before the student even decides to apply for admis­ sion in medical school. Consequently, the majority o f the s tu ­ d e n t's coursework will be 1n h i s / h e r original area of concentration, while the science courses completed will meet only the minimum admissions requirements (science d i s c i p l i n e ) . The SNMA and AAMC study claims th a t the choice of an undergraduate major reveals Information regarding a s tu d e n t's I n t e r e s t and personality. This study also c i t e s more minority students completed majors In the biological sciences, though major does not appear t o be a fa c to r 1n admission decisions. There 1s a nonsignific ant r e la tio n s h ip between undergraduate major and AP and PP. Table 44 Indicates th a t 17, or 58 percent of the sample whose undergraduate major was biology had been on AP, whereas 4, or 44 percent of those with h e a lth - r e la t e d majors; 1, or 33 percent of those with non-b1o1og1cal science majors; and 4, or 44 percent of those majoring 1n behavioral sciences and other areas had been on AP. Table 45 shows t h a t 15, or 58 percent of the sample whose undergraduate major was biology passed le ss than 94 percent of t h e i r courses, as compared to 5, or 55 percent of those with health- r e la te d majors; 1, or 33 percent of those with non-blologlcal science majors; and 4, or 44 percent sciences and other areas. who majored 1n behavioral F ifty percent o f the sample had passed less than 94 percent o f t h e i r courses. 60 Table 44.—AP by U.G. major. U.G. Major Probationary Status----------Academic Probation No Probation Row Tota, Behavioral sciences and other 17 58.6 4 44.4 1 33.3 4 44.4 12 41.4 5 55.6 2 66.7 5 55.6 20 48.0 9 18.0 3 6.0 9 18.0 Column t o ta l 26 52.0 24 48.0 50 100.0 Biology Health-related Non-b1olog1cal science Ch1-square e .59004 P < .7197 Table 45.—PP by U.G. major. U.G. Major Biology Health-related Non-b1olog1cal science Behavioral sciences and other Column t o ta l Chi-square ■ 1.33977 P < .8987 % of Courses Passed LE 94 GT 94 Row Total 15 51.7 5 55.6 1 33.3 4 44.4 14 48.3 4 44.4 2 66.7 5 55.6 29 58.0 9 18.0 3 60.0 9 18.0 25 50.0 25 50.0 50 100.0 81 6 : Research Hypothes1s--There will be a r e la tio n s h i p between graduate work and AP or PP. 6.: Null Hypothesis—There will be no re la tio n sh ip between graduate work and AP or PP. The author emphasizes t h a t less than 30 percent of the sample population had taken graduate courses. Generally, grades received from graduate courses were higher, a f a c t based on MSU-COM data addressing t h i s Issue. Thus, limited consideration (points) was given to graduate work as compared to undergraduate courses. Thore i s a nonsignificant r e la tio n s h ip between graduate work and AP and-PP. Table 46 Indicates th a t 17, or 47 percent of the sample completing no graduate courses had been on AP, as were 9, or 64 per­ cent of the sample completing graduate courses. Table 46.—AP by graduate work. Graduate Work Probationary Status Academic Probation No Probation Row Total No 17 47.2 19 52.8 36 72.0 Yes 9 64.3 5 35.7 14 28.0 Column t o ta l 26 52.0 24 48.0 50 100.0 Chi-square = .59158 P < .4418 82 The figures 1n Table 47 reveal t h a t 18, or 50 percent of the sample completing no graduate courses passed less than 94 per­ cent of courses taken, as did 7, or 50 percent of the sample com­ ple ting graduate courses. Table 47.—PP by graduate work. % of Courses Passed LE 94 GT 94 Graduate Work Row Total No 18 50.0 18 50.0 36 72.0 Yes 7 50.0 7 50.0 14 28.0 Column t o t a l 25 50.0 25 50.0 50 100.0 Ch1-square = .09921 P < .7528 7 : Research Hypothesis—There will be a r e la tio n s h i p between undergraduate college c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s (size and location) and AP or PP. 7jt Null Hypothesis—There will be no re la tio n sh ip between undergraduate college c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s (siz e and location) and AP or PP. Seventy-six percent of the sample have been I d e n tif ie d as alumni of colleges with a population g r e a te r than 5,000 (Table 19). The SNMA and AAMC study reveals t h a t a large number of Blacks attended schools throughout the United States with an enrollment under 25,000. The study also shows t h a t predominantly white colleges provide preprofesslonal tr a in i n g f o r a g r e a te r proportion of minority 83 matriculants than do colleges having a predominantly minority popu­ la tio n . There 1s a nonsignificant re la tio n sh ip between undergraduate college c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s {size and location) and AP or PP. Discriminant Analysis To Id en tify c l e a r l y which admission variables best d i s ­ criminated between students (1) on AP and (2) students not on AP, discriminant analysis was employed. Into two groups: This analysis divided the sample (1) 26, or 52 percent who had been on AP and (2) 24, or 48 percent who had not been on AP. With discriminant analysis the researcher calculated the e f f e c t s of the previously mentioned variables as they rela ted to the sample. In t h i s study the r e s u lts I d e n tif ie d two v a r ia b le s , MCAT- science score and undergraduate grade point average, th a t were aca­ demic predictors of students on AP and students not on AP, although research points out MCAT-sclence score was the dominant predictor variable o f success. Table 48 i l l u s t r a t e s t h a t other varia bles te ste d were non­ s i g n i f i c a n t 1n predicting academic success. In dividing the sample, the w r i t e r selected discriminating variables t h a t were expected to d i f f e r within the sample. The discriminant weights f o r MCAT-sclence score (.927) and undergraduate grade point average (.293) I d e n tif ie d these variables as predictors of academic success. The standard discriminant weight column gives data as they r e l a t e to the weight assigned standardized variables to p r e d ic t success. The w r i t e r notes 84 t h a t the weights f o r MCAT average, undergraduate science grade point average, and age were not computed as t h e i r sig nificance was small. Consequently, these variables were of l i t t l e signific anc e; as Klecka (1975) s t a t e s , the siz e of the weight Is proportional to the predic­ t i v e value o f the variables receiving consideration. Column two gives the significance of the respective weights assigned each variable. Table 48 outlines the r e s u l t s of the discriminant analysis and Indicates four o f the six variables te ste d show a nonsignific ant re la tio n sh ip to success. Table 48.--R esults of the discriminant a na lysis: AP. Std. Dlscrlm. Weight Variable MCAT-sclence Undergraduate GPA MCAT-quant1tat1ve MCAT-general MCAT-verbal Undergraduate nonscience GPA S1g. -.927 -.293 -.211 -.154 .077 -.072 .0 .10 N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. The v a ria b le , AP, as Table 49 I l l u s t r a t e s , could be measured against each member of the sample, and the r e s u l t s were the d i f f e r ­ ence of means between the groups. The difference column speaks to the dif ference in the performance level of the groups. For example, students not on AP scored an average of 104 points higher on the MCAT-sclence segment than students on AP. Univariate F-Rat1o te ste d 85 the significance o f differences between the means o f both groups. The t h i r d column addresses the s t a t i s t i c a l significance of t h i s d1fference; e . g . , the difference In mean scores on the MCAT-sclence segment 1s s i g n i f i c a n t a t the .01 le v el. The w r i t e r employed discriminant analysis a f t e r the i n i t i a l computation, which divided the sample Into students on AP and s t u ­ dents not on AP. Table 49.—Differences In means between groups. Variable MCAT-sclence Undergraduate GPA MCAT-quant1tat1ve MCAT-general MCAT-verbal Undergraduate nonscience GPA MCAT-average Undergraduate science GPA Age D iffe r­ ence (Uni­ v a r ia te ) F-Rat1o Sig. 104.00 0.14 69.00 50.00 43.00 0.17 67.00 0.13 -2.00 18.17 2.35 9.03 4.93 3.56 2.84 14.06 1.71 1.29 .01 N.S. .01 .05 .10 .10 .01 N.S. N.S. Summary In t h i s chapter the r e s u l t s of the study have been presented as they pertain to the research hypotheses and r e la te d questions about the rela tio n sh ip s between academic and demographic p re d ic to r variables and minority students' performance a t MSU-COM. To t e s t the hypotheses, a sample was selected which Included a l l minority 86 students admitted during the period of th is study (Blacks, Chicanos, American Indians). This chapter has analyzed data which have been generated from s t a t i s t i c a l t e s t s of: Location and siz e o f undergraduate college Undergraduate science grade point average Undergraduate nonscience grade point average Undergraduate over-all grade point average Medical College Admissions Test—verbal, q u a n t i t a t i v e , science Marital s ta tu s Sex *Ethnic1ty (P < .03) Undergraduate major Graduate work Age Based on the r e s u l t s of t h i s study, the Markert and West study (1978), and the SNMA and AAMC study, the above variables appear to be factors which warrant consideration by medical school admis­ sions committees 1n s e le c tin g members o f prospective c la s s e s . The findings presented 1n t h i s chapter appear t o Indicate t h a t a majority of the sample was performing s a t i s f a c t o r i l y with respect to AP and PP in MSU-COM, and th a t the MCAT-sc1ence score and undergraduate grade point average best predicted success of the sample. There will be an additional summary and a discussion of the data 1n Chapter V. ♦Significant r e la tio n s h i p between e t h n i c i t y and PP. CHAPTER V SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION* CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Summary Discussion Gabriel Sm1lkste1n, M.D. (1975) best summarizes the a t t i t u d e of t h i s researcher and hopefully the medical schools when addressing the concern of underrepresentation o f minority groups 1n medical school: . . . Simply to Increase the number of minority students . . . of I t s e l f does not Improve the l o t o f the medically under­ served. Studies show t h a t despite the Increase 1n the number of ethnic minority students admitted to medical schools, physi­ cian shortages 1n medically deprived areas continue to grow. . . . The major objectives o f t h i s study d e a lt with t h i s Issue by addressing the r e la tio n s h i p between academic and demographic predic­ t o r variables and the performance of MSU-COM minority matriculants 1n classes entering 1974, 1975, and 1976. The study examined the following subquestions: 1. Do varia bles outlined 1n t h i s study have a s i g n i f i c a n t e f f e c t 1n predicting academic success? 2. Is there a s i g n i f i c a n t difference 1n the academic and demographic c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of the successful and non­ successful minority matriculant? 3. Does the development of programs, such as the Minority Support Program, address the underrepresentation of minority groups 1n medical schools? 4. What has been the nature of performance of minority matriculants to MSU-COM? 87 88 Thus, the study was designed to evaluate the performance of minority group stude nts, p redic tor v a r ia b le s , and MSP as a support program 1n measuring MSU-COM's e f f o r t s to curb the physician shortage noted by Thompson (1974). Forty-nine of the 50 sample subjects had had p r io r contact with MSP before being granted admission to the program. One member of the population did not receive minority consideration; t h i s applicant was a foreign student. E l i g i b i l i t y for minority consideration was granted to U.S. c i tiz e n s and foreign s t u ­ dents holding permanent v isa s. Each student admitted who received minority consideration met two c r i t e r i a : 1. They were members of one of the following ethnic groups: Black, Chlcano, American Indian, or O riental. (As previously s t a t e d , Orientals were not considered 1n t h i s study as the w r i t e r addressed HEW guidelines and 1n comparing academic and financial records ques­ tions 1f t h i s group was Indeed educationally or f i n a n c ia ll y disad­ vantaged. ) 2. At the time of admission the students expressed a strong I n t e r e s t to work In an underserviced area.* To Insure th a t there existed no great differences between one's academic preparation and financial s t a t u s , with respect to a b i l i t y to perform, the w r i te r used as the population only minority matriculants admitted during the period o f t h i s study. *The Lezotte study Indicated t h a t minority medical students would be more lik e l y to locate and practice In the 1nner-c1ty portion o f urban areas 1n Michigan. 89 The study took as I t s c r i t e r i a of ef f e c tiv e n e ss, educational achievement, a t t r i t i o n r a t e , number admitted, and potential of minority m a tricula nts. Educational achievement was measured by the percentage of terms on academic probation (AP) and percentage of courses passed (PP). A t t r i t i o n r a te was measured by the number of students dismissed, while the underrepresentation of minority group students In medical schools 1s Indicated by the small number admitted. F in ally , potential of matriculants was measured by academic prepara­ tion. To t e s t the original and new hypotheses formulated for t h i s study, the matriculants were separated Into two groups, those on AP and those not on AP. The next step was to make comparisons to Iden­ t i f y c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f the two groups within the sample. The findings from t h i s study Indicate th a t minority matricu­ la n ts can meet academic expectations 1n medical school. However, 1t appears th a t supportive services provided through vehicles like MSU-COM's Minority Support Program are s i g n i f i c a n t facto rs In a s s i s t ­ ing the candidates to succeed. Using these c r i t e r i a , the w r i te r can s t a t e t h i s program was a success, but 1t would be Impossible to measure the t r u e effectiveness o f e f f o r t s by MSP. Similar to the r e s u l t s of the Markert and West study (1978), the best p redic to rs for academic success were found to be the MCATsclence score and the over-all undergraduate GPA. The r e s u l t s from t h i s study support the w r i t e r ' s b e l i e f t h a t e a rly I n terv en tio n , which 1s the MSP concept, through recruitment and 90 r e te n tio n e f f o r t s , can e f f e c t i v e l y address the underrepresentation of minority groups 1n medical schools and t h e i r re te n tio n . Conclusions Within the lim ita tio n s of t h i s study, and on the basis of the s t a t i s t i c a l analysis employed, the following conclusions are based upon the data co llec ted and reported 1n Chapter IV. Socioeconomic Background Forty-nine members of the sample received some form of finan­ cial as sista n ce from the u n iv e rs i ty . The one matriculant receiving no aid was not e l i g i b l e , as t h i s Individual was c l a s s i f i e d as a foreign stu dent; however, t h i s applicant was awarded a graduate asslstantshlp. All but three members o f the sample received more than 25 percent of t h e i r educational expenses through financial aid. These figures o u tlin e an obvious need fo r financial support among sample c o n s titu e n ts . Undergraduate College There appears to be no re la tio n s h i p between undergraduate college attended and performance 1n medical school. However, the researcher points out t h a t a s i g n i f i c a n t number of minority students experiencing academic d i f f i c u l t y had completed course work a t com­ munity colleges. 91 O v e r -a ll. Undergraduate Science. and Nonscience GP/f There appears to be no s i g n i f i c a n t r e la tio n s h ip between a p p l ic a n ts ’ (sclence-nonsclence) grade point average and acacemlc success. However, 1n the development of an equation predicting academic success of minority group a p p lica n ts, the ov er-all under­ graduate GPA was I d e n tif ie d as one of the two facto rs best predicting success. Marital Status As s t a t e d , marital s ta tu s of minority matriculants appears to play a nonsignific ant role 1n p redicting one's success. However, t h i s variable will a f f e c t one's finan cial aid request, depending on the spouse's s t a t u s . A working spouse w ill decrease the amount of the s tu d e n t's financial request, while a nonworking spouse will reverse t h i s trend. This study also defines the spouse as a possible support person, a very Important designation esp e c ia lly 1f the medi­ cal college 1s located In a community with a small minority popu­ l a tio n . Sex There appears to be a nonsignificant r e la tio n s h ip between sex and success 1n medical school. Although MSU-COM has a la rg e r minority male than female population, the national trend as outlined 1n the SNMA and AAMC study 1s toward a g r e a te r minority female popu­ la t i o n 1n medical schools. This study also pointed out 1n defining 92 MSU-COM matriculants t h a t the CMcano group was the only ethnic group t h a t has a smaller female representation. Ethnicity To measure accurate ly a r e la tio n s h ip between e t h n ic i ty and success 1n medical school, a study would have to compare these v a r i ­ ables to majority as well as minority students. The Markert and West study (1978) does a r t i c u l a t e th a t majority students, with regard to the variables o f th is study, generally performed a t a higher le v e l. Learning 1n an environment designed fo r and by those who have enjoyed the f u l l benefits of our so c ie ty , the student who 1s disadvantaged may require a special curriculum schedule, more individualized teaching and tu to r ia l programs, and a f le x i b l e means of evaluation 1n order f o r the medical school to achieve the goal of producing a la rg e r number of f u lly q u a lified minority graduates. The w r i te r emphasizes t h a t the underrepresentation o f minority groups supports the d i f f i c u l t y minority students have experienced applying for admission to medical school. Undergraduate Major and Graduate Work There appears to be no s i g n i f ic a n t r e la tio n s h i p between undergraduate major and graduate work and success 1n medical school. However, the SNMA and AAMC study does reveal th a t the la r g e s t number of minority group applicants majored 1n the biological sciences. Less than 30 percent o f the sample had graduate work experience. 93 Parental Education No data were available to measure t h i s variable ac curate ly, except to Indicate th a t a number of the sample constituent parents were employed 1n areas requiring l i t t l e education; the SNMA and AAMC study did point out th a t a large number of minority fathe rs were not high school graduates, while the minority mothers were competi­ tiv e with t h e i r counterparts. MCAT-Verbal.General, Q uantitative, and Science Score? There appears to be no s i g n i f i c a n t re la tio n sh ip between MCATverbal, general, and q u a n t ita tiv e scores and success. The MCAT-sc1ence score appears to be a s i g n i f i c a n t variable 1n the prediction of aca­ demic success. Recommendations Considering the findings, l i m i t a t i o n s , and conclusions of th is study, the following recommendations are presented: 1. Ethnic, r a c i a l , and se x -rela ted Imbalance should be r e c t i f i e d with appropriate subsidy programs, sim ila r to MSU-COM's Minority Support Program (MSP). 2. Active recruitment should be used to Insure t h a t an ade­ quate pool of applicants from a l l segments of society be educated as physicians; t h i s researcher suggests th a t the number o f minority group applicants admitted should be determined by the percentage of the respective minority group 1n the U.S. population. 94 3. Membership of admissions conmlttees should be more broadly based and should Include women, r a c ia l and ethnic represe ntatives, and consumers of medical care. 4. Medical colleges I n terested 1n Increasing minority rep­ r esentation should employ the e a rl y admissions process 1n special cases so as not to lose q u a lity minority group applicants to other medical schools. Also, t h i s would prevent the student from having to pay deposits to other schools, when accepted by r o llin g admis­ sion. T r a d iti o n a lly , MSU-COM sends a l l acceptance l e t t e r s for the t o t a l Incoming class a t the same time. Implications f o r Further Research The findings o f t h i s study suggest f u r th e r research, and accordingly, I t Is recommended t h a t the following questions be delved into: 1. What psychological fa c to rs are associated with the minority student dropout? 2. How can cognitive and noncognltlve factors 1n the admissions process be more accurately measured? 3. What e f f e c t have r e la tio n sh ip s with peer group, f a c u l ty , and administrators had on the s u c c e s s /f a ilu r e experienced by minority students? 4. What i n s t i t u t i o n a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s aided or prevented 5. What social and h i s t o r i c a l a t t i t u d e s aid or hinder success? minority students? APPENDICES APPENDIX A THE BAKKE CASE AND REVERSE DISCRIMINATION APPENDIX A THE BAKKE CASE AND REVERSE DISCRIMINATION The Alan Bakke "reverse discrimination" case now before the U.S. Supreme Court has produced an emotional controversy among the n a tio n 's educators. The r e s u l t s of t h i s case w ill determine whether minority group students w ill have access to opportunities 1n higher education th a t 1n the past were denied them. The Bakke case chal­ lenges programs aimed a t Increasing the underrepresentation of minority groups 1n U.S. medical schools 1n t h a t Bakke claims such programs represent reverse "discrimination" and a denial o f "the equal protection of the law" fo r nonminority a pplica nts. The w r i t e r points out t h a t special admissions are not new, a fa c t supported by William Raspberry (1977), syndicated columnist for the Washington Post. Raspberry a r t i c u l a t e s t h a t approximately BO percent of the minority matriculants enrolled 1n medical and law school, excluding those 1n predominantly black schools—Howard University of Meharry College, e t c . —would not be there I f 1t were not f o r special programs. And t h a t 80 percent 1s s t i l l a small pro­ portion, since less than 3 percent o f the t o t a l physician population are ethnic m inorities (Wharton, 1970). In a "Meet the Press" Interview, Joseph A. Califano, Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, maintained t h a t p r e f e r e n tia l 95 96 treatment can be given to minority groups without infringing on the legal rig h ts of majority students. The w r i t e r agrees, as t h i s study has pointed out t h a t a number o f cognitive variables used f o r admis­ sion selection are nonsignificant. I f medical schools would imple­ ment additional variables (noncognitlve h e a lth - re la te d a c t i v i t i e s , e x t r a c u r r ic u la r a c t i v i t i e s , work-related a c t i v i t i e s ) in the admission process, variables considered by Markert and West (1978), predictor variables for minority matriculants could be implemented Into the admission process. The w rite r agrees with Markert and West (1978) t h a t the evaluation o f these noncognitlve variables should be employed only a f t e r students are I d e n tif ie d as academically sound. The over-riding issue of the Bakke case 1s the e f f e c t a ruling f o r Bakke will have on I n s t i t u t i o n s ac tiv e ly addressing the underrepresentation of minority groups 1n higher education through special programs. As Jordan (1977) I n d ic a te s, there i s one obvious fa c t th a t U.S. h istory points out: discrimination. Minority groups have experienced To r e c t i f y th is s i t u a t i o n the w rite r recommends th a t where equitable representation of minority groups can not be developed through normal admission a c t i v i t i e s , such programs are indeed necessary. Nevertheless, he also warns against special pro­ grams being a vehicle to admit students who have not demonstrated potential for success. (Generally, recommendations f o r such deci­ sions will be made by d ir e c to rs o f support programs and the r e s u l t s will speak to the c r e d l t a b l l l t y o f such programs.) I t appears t h a t the Bakke case w ill be a deciding f a c t o r as to the continuation o f such special programs; to discontinue 97 them would be a step backward fo r individuals and I n s t i t u t i o n s addressing t h i s c r i t i c a l Issue. Here the w r i t e r agrees with Califano (1977): I t would be a bizarre s o c iety —a Catch-22 society—th a t judged a person's potential for success by the crede ntia ls and experience denied to t h a t person by past discrimination. A rbitrary quotas will not be p a r t o f our enforcement pro­ gram; we want to rely on the good f a i t h and special e f f o r t of a l l who join in the final march against discrimination. APPENDIX B STATEMENT BY THE BLACK FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATORS ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY CONCERNING THE ALAN BAKKE vs. THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA CASE APPENDIX B STATEMENT BY THE BLACK FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATORS ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY CONCERNING THE ALAN BAKKE vs. THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA CASE Viewpoint: Bakke Case Bakke's Claims Held Groundless The Black Faculty and Administrators Association o f MSU has closely followed the national and local reactions to the Alan Bakke vs. the Board o f Regents of the University of C alifornia case, and would lik e to voice our views. National publications and local ones lik e The State News and People's Choice have all ca rr ie d various opinions. These opinions have spanned the gamut from feelings th a t Bakke was discriminated against to feelings t h a t he was not. We would lik e to emphasize some things which have not been given general coverage. F i r s t , Alan Bakke was reje cte d by several other medical schools, Including his alma mater, the University of Minnesota. This needs to be pointed out because of the b e l i e f t h a t Bakke was a "superior" student and hence not admitted sole ly because he 1s white. Such a view 1s as erroneous as believing t h a t the sp e c ia lly admitted students were admitted s o le ly because they are part of a minority. At MSU medical college s, a l l successful candidates meet basic admission standards. This 1s tr u e a t most medical schools. Secondly, there 1s evidence to suggest the strong p o s s i b i l i t y t h a t Bakke would not have been admitted even 1f there were no affirma­ tiv e action program. At l e a s t 10 other medical schools reje cte d him and doubtless his age worked against him. Since very few middle-age applicants were accepted by the medical schools which r e je c te d him, Bakke could have sued f o r age discrim ination. I t 1s highly unlikely t h a t the many organizations which have supported him 1n his claim of r a cial discrimination would be supportive 1f he were claiming th a t younger white students were given preference over him. Thirdly, we question the v a l i d i t y o f such a concept as "reverse discrim ination," a term t h a t has found I t s way Into the American vocabulary. There Is e i t h e r discrimination o r th e re 1s not. Though the concept of reverse discrimination preceded Bakke, t h i s 98 99 case has highlighted 1t. Reverse discrimination seems to be a d i s ­ guised way of saying th a t the r ig h t s and privile ges enjoyed by the majority of the population, which were often gained by devious and In some cases legal methods, are beginning to be Infringed upon by non-whites 1n our attempt to make t h i s country liv e out the true meaning of democracy. In a recent presentation by Rev. Jesse Jackson, National President of People United to Save Humanity (PUSH), he Indicated t h a t he was not as concerned with Bakke as with "Bakklsm." That 1s, a r e t r e a t from giving the Issue of equal opportunity and equal access top p r i o r i t y . We too share t h a t concern on a national and local level. Locally, we hope th a t MSU does not jo in 1n the retrenchment process. We have been encouraged by some recent actions on the p a r t of the University th a t Indicate t h i s may not happen. The appointment of Dr. Ralph Bonner as Director of Human Relations, and the resolutio n recently Introduced by Dr. Blanche Martin and passed by the Board of Trustees strongly endorsing a commitment to equal opportunity as embodied In the affirm ative action concept, are two examples. Though we have been encouraged we are f a r from pleased. A commitment to affirm ative action must In the end be measured by r e s u l t s . As an a s s o c ia tio n , we will continue to f i g h t f o r , and speak 1n favor o f , aggressive and c r e a tiv e approaches f o r bringing non­ whites Into the mainstream of MSU and the nation. We hope the Supreme court sees the flaws and f a l s e assumptions 1n the Bakke vs. Board of Regents.of the University of C alifo rnia case and r u les against Bakke, but regardless of the outcome, aggressive affirm ative action must continue. The continued v i a b i l i t y of the University and the nation demands 1t. APPENDIX C MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE: ADMISSIONS CRITERIA AND PROCESS AND CURRICULUM GUIDE APPENDIX C MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE: ADMISSIONS CRITERIA AND PROCESS AND CURRICULUM GUIDE Minimum Requirements* The College will accept application for admission from a l l q u a i l fled candidates without regard to age, sex, creed, race, or national orig in . Preference 1s given to Michigan re sid e n ts. All applicants must be able to ensure meeting the minimum course requirements out­ lined below no l a t e r than June, 1978. Science and over-all gradepolnt average requirements Indicated below must be met a t the time your application i s f i l e d . 1. Completion of a. A four-year high school course or i t s equivalent accept­ able fo r matricula tion 1n a college or u n iv e rsity accred­ ited by a Regional Accrediting Commission of Higher Education; b. At of by by c. A f u l l academic year (generally 8 semester or 12 quarterhours), with no grade below C (2.0 on a 4-point s c a l e ) , by no l a t e r than June, 1978, 1n each of the following: (1) English, (2) biology, (3) general chemistry, (4) physics, (5) organic chemistry, (6) psychologicalsocial-behavioral sciences; and d. The Medical College Admission T e s t, no l a t e r than the October, 1977, administration. l e a s t three years (90 semester or 135 quarter-hours) college t r a in i n g 1n a college or unive rsity accredited a Regional Accrediting Commission of Higher Education, no l a t e r than June, 1978; ♦Subject to change a f t e r 1979. 100 101 2. At the time the applica tion 1s f i l e d , a pre-professional a. science grade-polnt average of a t l e a s t C+ (2.5 on a 4-point scale) and b. over-all grade-polnt average o f a t l e a s t C+ (2.5 on a 4-po1nt s c a l e ) . .3. A secondary application 1s completed only by those (approxf mately) three hundred candidates Invited for Interviews. 4. Be available fo r an on-campus Interview with the College's Admissions Committee or t h e i r designates a t the Committee's request. 5. Suggested e l e c t i v e s : biochemistry, physiology, anatomy. Summary of Admissions C r i t e r i a and Policies The Admissions Committee developed and effected the following admissions c r i t e r i a and p o lic ie s : RESIDENCY Because o f MSU-COM's state-supported s t a t u s , a t l e a s t 80 percent of the class was to contain Michigan r e s id e n ts . I f an a p p l ic a n t's residency changed during the admission process a l l remaining admission processing was r e l a t i v e to the a p p l ic a n t's new residency c l a s s i f i c a t i o n . Residency s t a t u s was determined by Univer­ s i t y regulations. AGE There were no maximum or minimum age r e s t r i c t i o n s and a l l deci­ sions were made Independent of the a p p l i c a n t 's age. SEX In accordance with the guidelines of the University and the Department o f Health, Education and Welfare a l l decisions were Inde­ pendent of the a p p l ic a n t's sex. ETHNIC BACKGROUND In accordance with the Affirmative Action Program of COM and the guidelines o f the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, minority applicants were r e c r u ite d . All minority applicants processed were required to meet the minimum standards f o r admission established for a l l candidates. MEDICAL COLLEGE ADMISSION TEST All applicants were the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). I f the than once, scores f o r the four categories (verbal, general, and science) were averaged fo r each t e s t , the higher or highest average score was used. required to take MCAT was taken more quantitative, then the t e s t with 102 LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION Two l e t t e r s of recommendation were accepted but not required. I f they were submitted, 1t was suggested one come from a pre-professional advisory conmlttee or academic advisor and the other from an Osteopathic physician. Letters of recommendation were considered only a t the Admissions Conmlttee screen. INTERVIEWS Interviewers were not allowed to Interview applicants who were e i t h e r t h e i r acquaintances or t h e i r r e l a t i v e s . Female ap p li­ cants were Interviewed by a t l e a s t one member of the Minority Subcom­ mittee. All applicants Interviewed had to be Invited by the Admissions Office. No Interviews were granted upon request. DEVIATIONS FROM ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE POLICY Requests f o r waivers due to extenuating circumstances were presented to the e n t i r e Admissions Conmlttee. The Committee e i t h e r took action on the request or deferred the request to the Director of Admissions for administrative action. REAPPLICANTS ReappHcants were required to reapply through the regul a r admissions process. Reapplicant s ta tu s 1n no way affected the processing or the s e le c tio n procedures. FACULTY DEVELOPMENT Limited opportunities were provided fo r holders of advanced degrees to p a r t i c i p a t e 1n an assigned curriculum leading to a D.O. degree. TRANSFER APPLICANTS Applicants for t r a n s f e r admission were considered on an individual basis and 1n accordance with the p o lic ie s of the American Osteopathic Association. Preference was given to Michigan residents with strong academic records and with previous programs which f a c i l i t a t e d t r a n s f e r to MSU-COM's curriculum. Transfer s t u ­ dents have to complete a t l e a s t one year (four quarte rs) a t MSU-COM. ACADEMIC BACKGROUND The following c r i t e r i a were selected for evaluatlon of each a p p l i c a n t 's academic background: 1. Undergraduate science grade-polnt average 2. Undergraduate non-science grade-polnt average 3. Graduate grade-polnt average 4. MCAT scores 5. 3.5 undergraduate science GPA 6. 1.0 undergraduate grade-polnt progression LEADERSHIP AND SOCIAL DIMENSIONS Recognizing the d e s i r a b i l i t y of accepting applicants who have demonstrated leadership and other d e s i r ­ able social c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , the following c r i t e r i a were selected for evaluation of each a p p l i c a n t 's non-academic background: 1. Work (employment while attending school) 2. H ealth-related a c t i v i t i e s 3. E x tracu rricular a c t i v i t i e s 103 Evaluation and Selection Process GPA SCREEN The GPA Screen consisted of applica nts' grade point average. Those applicants who met the minimum grade point r eq u ire­ ment were advanced to the Application Screen. APPLICATION SCREEN The Application Screen consisted of r a tin g several c r i t e r i a . The f i r s t five c r i t e r i a rated the academic background of the applicant and the r e s t of the c r i t e r i a rated the leadership and social dimensions of the applican t. I f the applicant received a competitive Application r a t i n g , the applicant was advanced to the Secondary Application/Interview Screen. The c r i t e r i a in the Application Screen were rated as follows: Maximum Rating Undergraduate GPA 36 Graduate GPA 6 I f 3.5 Undergraduate Science GPA 1 I f 1.0 Undergraduate GradePoint Progression * 1 MCAT 6 A c ti v itie s 12 Work Experience (4.5) Health-Related Experience (4.5) E x tracu rricular A c ti v itie s (3) Maximum Application Rating 62 SECONDARY APPLICATION/INTERVIEW SCREEN The Secondary Application con­ s is te d of r a tin g each of the four questions found on the Secondary Application. Maximum Secondary Application Rating 14 All applicants who took the Secondary Application and accepted the I n v itatio n to be Interviewed were rated a t two separate Interviews. Maximum Rating F i r s t Interview 12 Second Interview 12 Maximum Interview Rating 24 ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE SCREEN The Interview ratings were then t o t a le d wlth the ApplIcatlon ra tin g and the Secondary Application r a tin g . The to ta l of the three ratings was ca lle d the Total Applicant Rating. Application Rating 62 Secondary Application Rating 14 Interview Rating 24 Maximum Total Applicant Rating 100 104 COM CLASS OF 1980—CURRICULUM Approved by the COM Curriculum Committee 4/15/77 Term 1—Summer 1977 ANT 560 ANT 565 BCH 501 C M 510 OST 530 Medical Histology Introduction to Human Gross Anatomy Medical Biochemistry Health, Medical Care and Society Comprehensive P atie nt Evaluation 1 4(3-4) 6(4-6) 3(3-0) 2(2-0) 5(var) 20 Term 2—Fall 1977 ANT BCH PSL OST OST 563 502 500A 551 531 Osteopathic Medical Neuroanatomy Medical Biochemistry Introductory Physiology f o r Medicine Systems Biology—Hematopoietic System Comprehensive Patient Evaluation 2 4(3-4) 2 2-0) 5(5-0) 4jvar) 5(var) 20 Term 3—Winter 1978 MPH 521 PHM 520B PTH 502 OST 520 C M 512 F M 632 0 M 532 OST 611 Medical Microbiology and Immunology P rinciples of Pharmacology Human Pathology I Normal Endocrine Structure and Function Epidemiology & B1ostat1sties Principle s of Family Practice I Clinical Science I I I The Osteopathic Examination II 6(5-4) 4(4-0) 3 2-1) 2(var) 2 1-3) 1(0-4 1(0-3 1(0-4) 20 Term 4—Sorlnq 1978 PHM 521B PSC 520 OST 553 C M 513 F M 642 0 M 533 OST 612 Pharmacodynamlcs Introduction of Psychiatry Systems Biology I I I —Neurosciences Medical Jurisprudence Principles of Family P ractice II Clinical Science IV The Osteopathic Examination I I I 4(4-0) 2(2-0) lO(var) 2(1-3) 1(0-4) 1(0-3) 1(0-4) 21 105 OST 558 F H 652 0 M 534 OST 613 C M 514 Term 5--Summer 1978 Systems Biology VIII—Growth 4 Development Principle s of Family Practice I I I Clinical Science V The Osteopathic Examination IV Topics & Issues 1n Health Care Delivery I 15(var] 1(0-4 1(0-3 1(0-4 2(1-3] 20 OST 554 OST 614 F M 662 0 M 535 C M 515 Term 6—Fall 1978 Systems Biology IV—Cardiovascular The Osteopathic Examination V Principles of Family Practice IV Clinical Science VI Topics 4 Issues in Health Care Delivery II 15(v a r ) 1(0-4, 1(0-4, 1(0-3 2(1-3] 20 OST 555 OST 556 PSC 521 C H 516 F M 672 0 M 536 OST 615 OST 557 OST 552 PSC 522 F M 682 0 M 537 OST 616 Term 7—Winter 1979 Systems Biology V—Respiratory Systems Biology VI—Urinary Psychopathology I Field Experiences 1n Community Medicine I Principles o f Family Practice V Clinical Science VII The Osteopathic Examination VI Term 8—Soring 1979 Systems Biology VII--Gastrointest1nal 4 Metabolism Systems Biology I I — Integumentary Psychopathology II Principle s of Family Practice VI Clinical Science VIII The Osteopathic Examination VII 8(var| 7(var] livar 1(0-4, 1(0-3 1(0-4, 20 13(var) 2(var) 2(2-0 1 (0-4) 1(0-3) 1(0-4) 20 Third Year Hospital ro ta tio n s ( c lin i c a l clerkships) are presently scheduled 1n the following areas for each student: Medicine, Ob-Gyn, P e d i a t r i c s , Sur­ gery, Anesthesia, Emergency Room, Orthopedics, Neurology, ENT, Psychi­ a t r y , Junior Partnership, and e l e c t i v e s . APPENDIX D MSU-COM: i SAMPLE RECRUITMENT LETTERS APPENDIX D MSU-COM: SAMPLE RECRUITMENT LETTERS Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine Office of Admissions—C110 East Fee Hall Telephone: (517) 353-7740 Dear Prospective Student: I t 1s Indeed a pleasure to a s s i s t you 1n your ca re er s e lec tio n by mak­ ing you aware of the many opportunities which Osteopathic Medicine has to o f f e r . I am sure you are aware of the job market and I t s unlimited demand f o r q u a l if i e d minority group members. The demand f o r minority Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine 1s even g reater and with I n f i n i t e rewards. I f you have not thoroughly Investigated the profession of Osteopathy as a career a l t e r n a t i v e l e t ' s make an appointment to meet and discuss these p o s s i b i l i t i e s . Enclosed you will please find some Information t h a t will a s s i s t you 1n your preparation e f f o r t s . If you need any other or additional In fo r­ mation do not h e s i t a t e to contact the Minority Support Program o f fic e (517-355-9625) for f u r th e r a s sista n ce . I welcome the opportunity to a s s i s t you 1n any way I can. Sincerely, Darnell Cole A ssistant D irector/R ecruiter Minority Support Program DC/ksb Enclosures - 3 What 1s Osteopathy? Requlrements Survey Form (please return a t your e a r l i e s t convenience) 106 107 Michigan S tate University College of Osteopathic Medicine Office of Admissions—*C110 East Fee Hall Telephone: (517) 353-7740 Dear Prospective COM Student: I am sure a f t e r reviewing the a r t i c l e "What Is Osteopathy?" th a t you are aware of the many opportunities t h a t are available 1n t h i s chal­ lenging profession. As mentioned Osteopathy 1s a minority profession t h a t 1s presently experiencing growing pains and for those who success­ f u l l y complete t h i s program there are I n f i n i t e rewards and success will t r u l y be yours. I hope th a t by now you have successfully completed the MCAT. I f you have not, i t 1s Important th a t you r e g i s t e r Immediately f o r the April exam. Also would you please Inform me o f your s ta tu s regarding the te s t i n g r e g i s t r a t i o n . Enclosed you w ill please find an a r t i c l e pointing out the obvious need for more minority physicians. Also some Information concerning the Armed Forces Health Profession Scholarship. I f you have not done so already would you please f i l l out the short enclosed survey form and return I t to rny o f f ic e as soon as p o s s i b le . Thank you. Sincerely, Darnell Cole A ssistant D irector/R ecruiter Minority Support Program DC/ksb Enclosures SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Alexis, Carlton. "Minority Admission, Retention and Graduation From College of Medicine." Urban Health (February 1977): 14. American Public Health Association. "Minority Health Chart Book." Annual Meeting, October 1974, New Orleans, La. Andrus, L. H. "Dwindling Services: C risis 1n Rural Health Care." U.S. Medicine 7 (1971): 34. B a r t l e t t , J . W. "Medical School and Career Performance of Medical Students With Low Medical College Admission Test Scores." Journal of Medical Education 42 (1967): 231-37. Begun, Martin S. "Legal Considerations Related to Minority Group Recruitment and Admissions." Journal of Medical Education 48 (June 1973): 556-59. Birch, J . S., and Wolfe, S. "An Enrichment Program for Minority Students." Journal of Medical Education 50 (1975): 1059-60. Black, Bernard. 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