An Anatomy Pre-Course Predicts Student Performance in a Professional Veterinary Anatomy Curriculum
dc.contributor.author | McNulty, Margaret A. | |
dc.contributor.author | Lazarus, Michelle D. | |
dc.contributor.department | Anatomy and Cell Biology, IU School of Medicine | en_US |
dc.date.accessioned | 2019-05-03T15:07:02Z | |
dc.date.available | 2019-05-03T15:07:02Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2018 | |
dc.description.abstract | Little to no correlation has been identified between previous related undergraduate coursework or outcomes on standardized tests and performance in a veterinary curriculum, including anatomy coursework. Therefore, a relatively simplistic method to predict student performance before entrance would be advantageous to many. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether there is a correlation between performance in a veterinary anatomy pre-course and subsequent performance within a professional anatomy curriculum. Incoming first-year veterinary students at the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine were asked to participate in a free weeklong pre-course, before the start of the semester. The pre-course covered the musculoskeletal anatomy of the canine thoracic limb using dissection-based methods. Student performance, as evaluated by test grades in the pre-course, did indeed correlate with test grades in professional veterinary anatomy courses. A significant and positive correlation was identified between pre-course final exam performance and performance on examinations in each of 3 professional anatomy courses. Qualitative analyses of student comments pertaining to their experience within the pre-course indicated differences in the perceived benefits of the pre-course between high-, middle-, and low-performing students. These varied perceptions may provide predictive feedback as well as guidance for supporting lower performing students. Together, these results indicate that performance in a weeklong pre-course covering only a small portion of canine anatomy is a strong predictor of performance within a professional anatomy curriculum. In addition, the pre-course differentially affected student perceptions of their learning experience. | en_US |
dc.eprint.version | Author's manuscript | en_US |
dc.identifier.citation | McNulty, M. A., & Lazarus, M. D. (2018). An Anatomy Pre-Course Predicts Student Performance in a Professional Veterinary Anatomy Curriculum. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 45 (3), pp. 330-342. https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme.0317-039r | en_US |
dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1805/19100 | |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.publisher | AAVMC | en_US |
dc.relation.isversionof | 10.3138/jvme.0317-039r | en_US |
dc.relation.journal | Journal of Veterinary Medical Education | en_US |
dc.rights | Publisher Policy | en_US |
dc.source | Author | en_US |
dc.subject | veterinary anatomy education | en_US |
dc.subject | gross anatomy education | en_US |
dc.subject | learning outcomes | en_US |
dc.title | An Anatomy Pre-Course Predicts Student Performance in a Professional Veterinary Anatomy Curriculum | en_US |
dc.type | Article | en_US |