ORCID
Aruna Ullal, https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2611-1381; Andrea Wilson, https:/orcid.org/0000-0002-1471-654X
Abstract
Remediation is a crucial factor for some students to succeed in a medical career. Well-designed remedial courses can enhance students’ learning skills and improve their study habits, promoting long-term retention and academic success. A medical school in the Caribbean has designed a remedial program called the Learning Enhancement Course, with the goal of supporting underperforming students in enhancing their study skills and gaining the competencies necessary to progress in their medical school journey. This quantitative study examined the influence of the remedial course on students’ learning and study skills after their participation in this structured course. We analyzed archival pre- and post-course data from 85 first-year medical students enrolled in the remediation course between September 2023 and May 2024. Paired sample t-tests compared pre- and post-Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) scores on three subscales of the LASSI: (1) information processing (INP), (2) selecting main ideas (SMI), and (3) test-taking (TST) skills. Results showed significant improvements in INP (p < .001), SMI (p < .001), and TST (p < .001) scores. These findings suggest that participation in the remediation course had a positive impact on students’ learning and study strategies, contributing to their academic progress. Based on these results, targeted initiatives were recommended to enhance study skills that could promote academic success in first-year medical students. Overall, the study’s findings demonstrate the important role of remediation in fostering students’ successful completion of their medical profession and increasing the number of well-trained, competent physicians in healthcare.
