Evaluation of an Early Medical School Selection Program for Underrepresented Minority Students

Purpose To evaluate the academic performance in the first two years of medical school of underrepresented minority students (URMS) who participated in an early identification and admission program. Method The study involved 39 early-selection URM students who entered one medical school from 1992 through 1999. Successful completion of the first two years of medical school and passing the United States Medical Licensure Examination (USMLE) Step 1 were correlated with Scholastic Aptitude Test I (SAT I) scores and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores. The students were required to maintain an overall grade-point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale to remain in the program. Results Students who had combined scores of at least 900 on the SAT I and total scores of at least 18 on the three multiple-choice sections of the MCAT had more success completing the first two years of medical school and passed USMLE Step 1 with greater frequency than did those students who scored at lower levels on these tests. Conclusion An early-selection program for URM students can identify early in their academic careers students who can complete the first two years of medical school and pass the USMLE Step 1.