http://repub.eur.nl/res/aut/18409/ List of Publications en http://repub.eur.nl/static-eur/img/logo.png http://repub.eur.nl http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/40002/ 2013-02-26T00:00:00Z Background: There is a need for outcome-based studies on strategies for supporting at-risk medical students that use long-term follow-up and contemporaneous controls. Aim: To measure the effect of a short integrated study skills programme (SSP) on the study progress of at-risk medical students. Methods: First-year students identified as at-risk of academic failure at 7 months after enrolment were invited to participate in the randomised controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the SSP group or to a control group receiving standard academic support. Effects of SSP were measured on the short (passed first exam after intervention), medium (obtained enough credits to proceed to second year) and long term (completed first-year curriculum within 2 years). Results: SSP participants (n=43) more often passed the first exam after the intervention than controls (n=41; 30% versus 12%; X2(1)=4.06, p<0.005, effect size=0.22), in particular those who had previously passed at least one exam. No medium or long-term effect was found. Participants who had attended four or five SSP sessions outperformed those who had attended fewer sessions on all outcome measures. Conclusion: A short, integrated SSP benefited some, but not all students. Our advice is to focus support efforts on at-risk students who have demonstrated commitment and academic potential. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/30857/ 2011-10-01T00:00:00Z Medical Education 2011: 45: 987-994 Context Medical students often fail to finish medical school within the designated time. An academic dismissal (AD) policy aims to enforce satisfactory progress and to enable early identification and timely support or referral of struggling students. In this study, we assessed whether the implementation of an AD policy improved study progress in the first 2years of medical school. Additionally, we analysed its effect on the help-seeking behaviour of struggling students. Methods We compared two AD cohorts (entering in 2005 and 2006, respectively) and two non-AD cohorts (entering in 2003 and 2004, respectively) on dropout rates, Year 1 curriculum completion rates and the percentage of students with an optimal study rate (i.e. all modules completed) at 1 and 2years after enrolment. We also measured the effect on study progress of attending the support meetings offered. Results The AD (n=809) and non-AD cohorts (n=809) did not differ significantly in dropout rate at 5months, in Year 1 completion rate at 2years and in the percentage of optimally performing students at 1year after enrolment. At 2years after enrolment, more students from the AD cohorts had left and more non-AD students demonstrated optimal performance, but effect sizes (ESs) for these differences were small. Voluntary support at 4months was attended by AD students more often than by non-AD students (68.9% versus 39.8%; χ2(1)=43.95, p<0.001, ES=0.29). The AD students who attended the support meetings completed the Year 1 curriculum more often than those who did not (73.4% versus 52.5%; χ2(1)=10.92, p<0.001, ES=0.20). Attending the obligatory support meeting at 7months had a similar effect (70.5% versus 33.3%; χ2(1)=13.60, p<0.001, ES=0.23). Conclusions The presence of an AD policy did not lead to earlier dropout, higher completion rates or an improved study rate during the first 2years at medical school. However, uptake of the support offered increased to almost 70%. Although support participants finished the Year 1 curriculum more often than non-participants, the current support system was not sufficient to improve overall study progress. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/18405/ 2009-03-01T00:00:00Z Objectives: We aimed to study the effects of active-learning curricula on graduation rates of students and on the length of time needed to graduate. Methods: Graduation rates for 10 generations of students enrolling in the eight Dutch medical schools between 1989 and 1998 were analysed. In addition, time needed to graduate was recorded. Three of the eight schools had curricula emphasising active learning, small-group instruction and limited numbers of lectures; the other five had conventional curricula to varying degrees. Results: Overall, the active-learning curricula graduated on average 8% more students per year, and these students graduated on average 5 months earlier than their colleagues from conventional curricula. Conclusions: Four hypotheses potentially explaining the effect of active learning on graduation rate and study duration were considered: (i) active-learning curricula promote the social and academic integration of students; (ii) active-learning curricula attract brighter students; (iii) active-learning curricula retain more poor students, and (iv) the active engagement of students with their study required by active-learning curricula induces better academic performance and, hence, lower dropout rates. The first three hypotheses had to be rejected. It was concluded that the better-learning hypothesis provides the most parsimonious account for the data.