ADVISING STUDENTS FOR

ACADEMIC SUCCESS

Victoria S Kaprielian, MD, FAAFP Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Medical Education

Professor of Family Medicine

Yen-Ping Kuo, PhD Assistant Dean for Curriculum

Professor and Chair, Department of Microbiology and

Immunology

AACOM Annual Conference Washington, D.C. April 8, 2016

SESSION OBJECTIVES

By the end of this presentation, participants will be

able to:

Distinguish between academic and non-

academic issues in student performance

Discuss study skills training that can be used

proactively to enhance first-year student success

Use an algorithm to identify appropriate advising

interventions for common medical student

difficulties

A Difficult transition

for all in learning

styles, habits, and

expectations…

Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Kamar_Zard_Buzhan_-_Nishapur_1.jpg/250px-Kamar_Zard_Buzhan_-_Nishapur_1.jpg

CASES

Susie

• Poor exam scores

• “Can’t keep up”

• Tearful in office

• Socially isolated

• Not sleeping, eating well

James

• Poor exam scores

• “Too much material”

• Used to study 2 h/night

• Reads slowly

• Problems with

standardized exams

PERFORMANCE ISSUES

Behavioral

• Professionalism

• Mood

• Substance use

Academic

• Knowledge

• Application

• Skills

The “Myth” of choosing the

wrong answer

“I narrow the answer choices down to

two, but just pick the wrong one . . . .”

THE ROOTS OF

LOW ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Poor Test Performance

Knowledge Recall Ability

Comprehension

(Learning and Study Skills)

Test-taking skills

Specific Content Deficit

©Kuo, CUSOM

Poor Test Performance

Knowledge Recall Ability

Effective memorization strategies:

smart repetition spacing

Comprehension

(Learning and Study Skills)

Learning specialist:

learning styles

assessment

Knowledge Acquisition:

Preview; active listening vs.

passive note-taking

Buddy System:

When and

What

Effective Review:

Tips to connect the

dots

Test-taking Skills

Smart MCQ Problem-Solving

Attention to lead-in sentence; avoid random/limited information pattern-

matching; time management

Practice

Use exam item banks

Specific Content Deficit

Mentoring:

Peer Pairing; Faculty coaching

Goal: Reduce busy work

WHAT TOOLS CAN WE PROVIDE?

“PREVENTIVE MEDICINE” Study Skills Development Sessions Implemented

for CUSOM Class 2019

I

During Orientation

II

After 1st Exam

III

After 2nd Exam

Study Skills Development

Session I (orientation)

• Present the winning rules:

– The SQ3R (survey, question, read, recite,

review) process

– Essential steps: preview, live learning, and

immediate review

– Team up

The SQ3R Study Process

Survey: Chapter title, introduction, headings and

subheadings, graphics, summary

Learning objectives

Question Ask yourself questions for each section during

preview

Answer these questions during after-class

review

Read Find answers to questions

Connect sections

Recite

Review

Review

Recite

Read

Question

Survey

The 3 Essential Steps I

Preview

*GOAL: Map the route

S Q

2

Lecture

*GOAL: Learning

R

3

Review

*GOAL: TEST-READY *Connect the dots *Memory consolidation

RR

Study Skills Development

Session II

• Now we have their

attention:

– Tell them what we

already told them

during orientation

– Introduce human

forgetting curve

Figure https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ForgettingCurve.svg

Study Skills Development

Session III

• Take it to another level: refining

test-taking skill

• Interactive sessions with peer

problem-solving, learning and

sharing

What is your greatest

challenge?

What is the most successful

change you have made?

Crowdsourcing with Answer

Garden

General Assessment of Outcomes

• Orientation: <40% of students felt ready

• Session 1

– 82% students found session helpful

– 70% intended to apply the technique learned

• Session 2:

– 70% students attended

– Of those attending, 70% reported applying

techniques learned

Advising Skills

Development

Sessions for

CUSOM Faculty

Advising Algorithm

Study Skills

Test Taking

IS THIS ONE OF YOUR STUDENTS? How would you advise?

Problem

• Not enough time to accomplish preview

and review lectures all within one day.

Problem

• Needing to re-write or create own notes in

order to retain memory

Problem

• Test anxiety -- a few uncertain questions in

the exam will trigger domino effect

Problem

• Lack of drive/motivation to study

• Unable to focus in class

Take-home points

• Be sure to differentiate behavioral and academic

problems

• Engage other resources in addressing

behavior/psych issues

• Consider algorithm for identifying and

addressing academic challenges

• Offer study skills training for first-year students?