Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Completed
Administrative data
| NCT number |
NCT05224427 |
| Other study ID # |
PRO00035403 |
| Secondary ID |
|
| Status |
Completed |
| Phase |
|
| First received |
|
| Last updated |
|
| Start date |
August 1, 2019 |
| Est. completion date |
April 1, 2021 |
Study information
| Verified date |
June 2023 |
| Source |
Medical College of Wisconsin |
| Contact |
n/a |
| Is FDA regulated |
No |
| Health authority |
|
| Study type |
Observational
|
Clinical Trial Summary
We elected to establish a pilot near-peer coaching program for URM students enrolled at the
Medical College of Wisconsin MCAT program. We quantified baseline and specific time point
test-anxieties using the validated Westside test anxiety scale. We asked about MCAT concerns
and program impressions via a free response section and analyzed results with inductive
analysis.
Description:
The proposed study occurred in-person at the Medical College of Wisconsin or online via video
conferencing. The proposed study designs were approved by the Institution's Review Board
(PRO00035403). A previous Medical College of Wisconsin ( MCW) MCAT-training program for URM
students was started in 2017 and enrolled all twenty-two students from this program within
the first year, and all twelve students the second year. All participants enrolled in the
MCAT program were from Wisconsin and attended undergraduate or finished undergraduate studies
within the past 5 years and were intending to apply to medical school.
Volunteer near-peer mentors were recruited from existing MD or MD PhD candidates at MCW.
Coaches were oriented at the beginning of each program year, and periodically sent reminders
and instructions on what to cover. Initial MCAT coaching meetings were instructed to cover
study schedules, effective studying and exam strategy while later coaching meetings
recommended coaches share their stories of how they dealt with test-anxiety, strategies to
deal with test-anxiety (i.e. visit the test-center a week before , positive mentality about
wrong answers during practice, and increasingly practicing under test-day conditions), and
for open discussion with the student about how they were feeling. In response to student
concerns about feeling limited by these topics, coaches were no longer instructed, rather
recommended these topics to be covered in the second year of the program.
Students were consented and oriented in a group or individual setting and surveys were
distributed via QualtricsXM for baseline, after a mock MCAT exam four months before most exam
dates, and after each MCAT Coaching meeting. In the first year of the program between
2019-2020, three official MCAT coaching sessions were scheduled: one every three months
starting in August. In response to student concerns, the second year of the program continued
with the three official MCAT coaching sessions, while explicitly stating that students can
meet as many times as they wish above this number. Due to COVID-19, an in-person mock MCAT
time point was not possible in the second iteration.
Surveys were anonymous and tracked using a pin. Surveys measured quantitative test-anxiety
scores using the validated Westside test-anxiety scale. The mean and the standard deviation
were calculated in excel. Significance was calculated first using an F-test to determine the
variances between the populations, followed by using the appropriate two-tailed student's
t-test in Excel. Statistical significance was p<0.05. Qualitative data regarding student
concerns regarding the MCAT as well as comments on the program were elicited via free
response. A sample of the survey is available in Figure 1. Inductive analysis was performed
on the free response answers. They were categorized into various themes using line-by-line
coding. Sentences within the answers could overlap into different themes or not be related to
any theme.
