An Accelerated Journey: Unearthing the Perceptions and Experiences of Students in One Baccalaureate-M.D. Training Program
Crouch, Jenny
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2021-08-05
Abstract
Each year, a small percentage of students pursue a combined Baccalaureate-M.D. pathway to physician licensure. Often called BS/M.D. or BA/M.D. degree programs, these medical training pathways allow competitive students to accelerate their entrance into the medical profession by condensing and combining undergraduate education with the beginning of the professional medical school curriculum. To date, little research has focused on the day-to-day experiences of this specific student population. Therefore, using social learning theory and conceptualizations put forth by Gruppen et al. (2019) regarding the learning environment of health professions, this capstone project sought to explore the personal, social, and organizational factors affecting combined pathway student satisfaction at one medical school in the Northeast. A mixed methods investigation of secondary quantitative, and new qualitative data revealed incongruences in students’ expectations of academic rigor and the reality of self-study, while highlighting the interdependent effects of psychosocial factors on student satisfaction.