Heather D. Wathington

Educational outcomes for students enrolled in MD-PhD programs at medical school matriculation, 1995-2000: a national cohort study.

Purpose To describe educational outcomes for a national cohort of students who enrolled in MD–PhD programs at medical school matriculation (MD–PhD matriculants). Method The authors used multivariate logistic regression to identify factors independently associated with overall MD–PhD program attrition (MD-only graduation or medical school withdrawal/dismissal) compared with MD–PhD program graduation among the 1995–2000 national cohort of MD–PhD matriculants at medical schools with and without Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) support. Results Of 2,582 MD–PhD matriculants, 1,885 (73.0%) were MD–PhD graduates, 597 (23.1%) were MD-only graduates, and 100 (3.9%) withdrew/were dismissed from medical school by July 2011. MD–PhD matriculants at non-MSTP-funded schools (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.60–2.41) and who had lower Medical College Admission Test scores (< 31 versus ≥ 36: AOR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.20–2.14; 31–33 versus ≥ 36: AOR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.01–1.70) were more likely to leave the MD–PhD program; matriculants who reported greater planned career involvement in research (AOR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.51–0.84) and matriculated more recently (AOR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.85–0.96) were less likely to leave the MD–PhD program. Gender, race/ethnicity, and premedical debt were not independently associated with overall MD–PhD program attrition. Conclusions Most MD–PhD matriculants completed the MD–PhD program; most of those who left were MD-only graduates. Findings regarding variables associated with attrition can inform efforts to recruit and support students through successful completion of MD–PhD program requirements.

Bridging the Gap: An Impact Study of Eight Developmental Summer Bridge Programs in Texas

The National Center for Postsecondary Research is a partnership of the Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University; MDRC; the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia; and faculty at Harvard University. Across the country, a growing number of recent high school graduates are participating in summer bridge programs. These programs provide accelerated and focused learning opportunities in order to help students acquire the knowledge and skills needed for college success. The state of Texas has given particular attention to summer programs as a way to increase students’ college readiness. During the past several years, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) has provided support to colleges establishing developmental summer bridge programs offering intensive remedial instruction in math, reading, and/or writing, along with an introduction to college. In contrast with traditional developmental education course sequences, which may span several semesters, the summer bridge programs were designed to help underprepared students build competencies over the course of several weeks before entering college.

The emerging physician-scientist workforce: demographic, experiential, and attitudinal predictors of MD-PhD program enrollment.

Purpose MD–PhD scientists are a successful, but small and fairly homogenous group of biomedical researchers. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study to identify predictors of MD–PhD program enrollment to inform evidence-based strategies to increase the size and diversity of the biomedical research workforce. Method Using deidentified data from all 2001–2006 Pre-Medical College Admission Test Questionnaire (PMQ) respondents, they developed multivariate logistic regression models to identify demographic, experiential, and attitudinal variables associated with MD–PhD program enrollment at matriculation compared with all other MD program enrollment at matriculation and with not enrolling in medical school by August 2012. Results Of 207,436 PMQ respondents with complete data for all variables of interest, 2,575 (1.2%) were MD–PhD program enrollees, 80,856 (39.0%) were other MD program enrollees, and 124,005 (59.8%) were non-medical-school matriculants. Respondents who were black (versus white), were high school and college laboratory research apprenticeship participants, and highly endorsed the importance of research/finding cures as reasons to study medicine were more likely to be MD–PhD program enrollees, whereas respondents who highly endorsed the status of medicine as a reason to study medicine were less likely to be MD–PhD program enrollees than either other MD program enrollees or non-medical-school matriculants. Conclusions MD–PhD program directors succeed in enrolling students whose attitudes and interests align with MD–PhD program goals. Continued efforts are needed to promote MD–PhD workforce diversity and the value of high school and college research apprenticeships for students considering careers as physician–scientists.

Expanding Dual Enrollment: Increasing Postsecondary Access for All?.

This study investigated the dual enrollment outcomes associated with a 2005 policy change intended to expand dual enrollment participation in Virginia. Results indicated that overall access to and participation in dual enrollment courses increased following the policy change. However, data showed this increase was not uniform, and minority groups remained significantly underrepresented when compared with their representation in the general student population. Furthermore, we examined the changes in postsecondary enrollment of dual enrollment students. Although a similar percentage of students enrolled in higher education before and after the policy change, we found variation in the timing and the type of institution in which students enrolled, with students after the policy change enrolling in 4-year institutions sooner after high school graduation than students in the cohort prior to the change. Implications related to educational opportunity and unintended consequences of the policy change are discussed.

The Impact of Learning Communities for Students in Developmental Education A Synthesis of Findings From Randomized Trials at Six Community Colleges

Community colleges play a vital role in postsecondary education, enrolling more than one in every three postsecondary students. While their importance has grown over the past 50 years, their students’ success rates remain low. Consequently, community college stakeholders are searching with mounting urgency for approaches that increase students’ success rates. “Learning communities” are one popular strategy. This article describes the results of one of the largest (n ≈ 7,000) independent randomized trials in higher education history—an evaluation of the effectiveness of learning communities for students in developmental education at six community colleges throughout the United States. The estimated overall average effects of learning communities are positive, although quite modest.

Access to Dual Enrollment Courses and School-Level Characteristics

Increasing the percentage of adults with a college credential is paramount to sustaining our economic competitiveness. One strategy that has potential to help achieve the goal of increased postsecondary degree production is dual enrollment, which allows high school students to enroll in college-level courses for credit that can be applied simultaneously toward their high school and college degree requirements. However, dual enrollment can only help if students have access. This study capitalizes on a policy shift in the state of Virginia to descriptively assess whether dual enrollment offerings are disproportionally associated with certain high school characteristics. Although the policy shift had positive implications for access to dual enrollment courses, we found that access remains inequitably distributed. High schools that are located in suburbs and the northern region of the state, as well as high schools that are comprised of a high percentage of underrepresented students, continue to lag in their offering of dual enrollment courses. We posit explanations for these inequities and discuss implications in light of Virginias goal to award 100,000 additional degrees by 2020.

How Do Interaction Experiences Influence Doctoral Students' Academic Pursuits in Biomedical Research?

This exploratory qualitative study investigated how doctoral students reported their personal and professional interaction experiences that they believed might facilitate or impede their academic pursuits in biomedical research. We collected 19 in-depth interviews with doctoral students in biomedical research from eight universities, and we based our qualitative analytic approach on the work of Miles and Huberman. The results indicated that among different sources and types of interaction, academic and emotional interactions from family and teachers in various stages essentially affected students’ persistence in the biomedical science field. In addition, co-mentorship among peers, departmental environment, and volunteer experiences were other essential factors. This study also found related experiences among women and underrepresented minority students that were important to their academic pursuit.

A Good Start?: The Impact of Texas' Developmental Summer Bridge Program on Student Success

Summer bridge programs have long been utilized by postsecondary institutions to improve the college readiness of students; however, the research on their effectiveness is limited. This study presents evidence from an experimental study of one summer bridge program model specifically designed for recent high school graduates who placed into developmental education. The program took place at eight open access colleges in Texas during the summer of 2009, and participants were followed for two academic years. To provide needed context, we first describe site selection, random assignment, and program implementation. Quantitative results indicate that the program had no effect on the average number of credits attempted and earned or student persistence in postsecondary education. The program did have an impact on first college-level course completion in math (p < 0.05) and to a lesser extent writing (p < 0.10); there was no impact on first college-level course completion in reading. Our findings are consistent with those of other rigorously evaluated programs for developmental education students and suggest that persistence in postsecondary education is a complex issue that cannot be solved with any one program.

Investigating the Potential of Community College Developmental Summer Bridge Programs in Facilitating Student Adjustment to Four-Year Institutions.

This study examines whether community college developmental summer bridge programs (DSBPs) can help students acquire the academic and college knowledge needed to attend and succeed at a four-year higher education institution. In-depth interviews with 14 participants at nine four-year institutions in Texas were conducted two years after their random assignment into one of four four-week long community college DSBPs. The interviews reinforced the value of such programs in affording key validating and socializing experiences as well as illuminate program limitations in managing student expectations and providing institution-specific college knowledge for students who will matriculate at a four-year institution subsequent to program participation.

The Difference a Cohort Makes: Understanding Developmental Learning Communities in Community Colleges.

Learning communities, a small cohort of students enrolled together in two or more linked courses, have become a popular intervention to help under-prepared students succeed in college. Though learning communities abound in practice, the key structural feature of a learning community—the cohort—may not be fully understood. Authors posit that a cohort needs both a structural and communal component to function well. This study examines qualitative data from a pilot site and four community colleges that participated in a random assignment evaluation. Authors observed differences between learning community and non-learning community experiences in terms of classroom climate and academic support networks for students. Differences can be attributed to both the structural nature of the cohort as well as emergent social group dynamics. As such, the cohorts within learning communities appeared to act as mechanisms for increasing student interaction and interdependence. The authors anticipate that these gains in the student experience will enhance student retention.