Context The human and financial costs of academic failure amongst medical students are extremely high. Often, remedial support is infrequently available or is available only for students failing their final examinations. We describe the design, implementation and preliminary evaluation of a remedial programme (RP) for students who experience academic difficulties. Methods A total of 24 students were identified from Years 4 and 5 of the undergraduate medical course at our medical school. Students invited to participate were identified following failure in summative and/or continuous assessment processes. Students underwent an individual educational diagnosis by means of free discussion and a semi-structured interview. Each negotiated a problem list, action plan and learning contract with course tutors. Of the 24 students, 16 received academic support and tutorials. Tutorial content was determined by individual students and took place over a 6–12-month period, initially individually and subsequently in pairs. Regular feedback and appraisal occurred. Information was delivered to the medical school academic progress review system. Student satisfaction was investigated and subsequent examination scores reviewed. Results The causes of academic failure were widespread and ranged from deficient study skills to financial, domestic and emotional problems. In contrast, the subjects in which students had difficulty were remarkably similar, in that they all related to core clinical skills and frequently involved communication skills. Students enjoyed the programme, reported improved motivation both for study and for their chosen career and demonstrated a greatly improved pass rate in subsequent examinations. Conclusions The causes of academic failure in undergraduate medical students are diverse and are often not academic in origin. Students can benefit from an individually tailored remedial programme and go on to success in subsequent parts of the curriculum. Provision of individually tailored remedial teaching is labour-intensive and requires full faculty support.

Melissa Sayer

Mark Chaput De Saintonge

Dason Evans

Diana Wood

Medical Education

医学教育致力于成为医疗保健专业教育领域的杰出期刊，并出版最高质量的材料，反映世界范围内或具有挑衅性的问题和观点。该杂志欢迎有关健康专业教育各个方面的高质量论文包括;-本科教育-研究生培训-继续专业发展-跨专业教育

Medical Education aims to be a leading journal in the field of healthcare professional education, publishing high-quality materials that reflect challenging issues and perspectives from around the world. The journal welcomes high-quality papers on all aspects of health professional education, including undergraduate education, graduate training, continuing professional development, and interprofessional education.

《Medical Education》致力于成为医疗保健专业教育领域的杰出期刊，出版高质量的材料，反映全球范围内或具有挑战性的问题和观点。该杂志欢迎关于健康专业教育各个方面的高质量论文，包括：本科教育、研究生培训、继续专业发展和跨专业教育。

Support for students with academic difficulties

The design, implementation and preliminary evaluation of a remedial programme (RP) for students who experience academic difficulties for medical students are described.

Category	Quartile
教育学	1
教育学, 学科教育	1
教育学, 卫生保健与服务	1

Support for students with academic difficulties

ivySCI AI Smartly Parses PDF, Answers Researchers' Questions, and Helps You Understand Papers in Seconds

Journal Info

Category	Quartile
HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES	1