Strowd Lindsay C, Gao Hong, O'Brien Mary Claire, Reynolds Patrick, Grier David, Peters Timothy R
Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157 USA.
Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC USA.
Med Sci Educ. 2019 May 9;29(3):715-720. doi: 10.1007/s40670-019-00730-4. eCollection 2019 Sep.
The admission process for medical school relies on objective and subjective measures of personal achievement, and selecting successful medical students is a daunting task for admission committees. While there is a significant body of literature examining MCAT scores and undergraduate grade point average (GPA) with medical school performance, there is a paucity of research on impact of specific student accomplishments on future performance. We hypothesize participation in a varsity collegiate sport will correlate with higher performance during medical school.
A retrospective review of four medical school classes at a single institution was completed. Each student's admission application was examined for at least 1 year of participation in a varsity-level sport at their respective undergraduate institution. A total of 62 athletes (16.36%) were identified out of 441 total students. Multiple medical school performance metrics were obtained for each student.
There was no difference in MCAT scores between athletes and non-athlete medical students. There was a significant difference in step 1, step 2 CK, NBME shelf exams, cumulative year 3 performance, and AOA status with the athletes outperforming their peers.
Students who participate in collegiate varsity athletics excel in medical school. One explanation for this finding may be participation in high-stakes athletic training and competition results in development of specific attributes beneficial in medical school. These attributes may include receptiveness to criticism, time management, resiliency, team participation, and performing under pressure. Additional research is needed to elucidate the attributes that determine improved medical school performance, such that medical educators can utilize this knowledge to better prepare all students for the rigors of medical school.
医学院的录取过程依赖于对个人成就的客观和主观衡量，对于录取委员会来说，挑选成功的医学生是一项艰巨的任务。虽然有大量文献研究医学院入学考试（MCAT）成绩和本科平均绩点（GPA）与医学院学习表现的关系，但关于学生的特定成就对未来表现影响的研究却很少。我们假设参加大学体育代表队运动与医学院期间的更高表现相关。
对一所机构的四个医学院班级进行了回顾性研究。审查了每名学生的入学申请，以确定其在各自本科院校参加大学体育代表队运动至少一年的情况。在总共441名学生中，共识别出62名运动员（占16.36%）。获取了每名学生的多个医学院学习表现指标。
运动员医学生和非运动员医学生的MCAT成绩没有差异。在第一步考试、第二步临床知识（CK）考试、美国国家医学考试委员会（NBME）阶段考试、三年级累积成绩以及美国医学协会荣誉学会（AOA）资格方面存在显著差异，运动员的表现优于同龄人。
参加大学体育代表队运动的学生在医学院表现出色。这一发现的一种解释可能是，参与高风险的体育训练和比赛会培养出对医学院有益的特定特质。这些特质可能包括接受批评的能力、时间管理能力、适应能力、团队协作能力以及在压力下表现的能力。需要进一步研究以阐明决定医学院学习表现提升的特质，以便医学教育工作者能够利用这些知识更好地让所有学生为医学院的严格要求做好准备。
