Presented By: Isadore Nottolini, University of Central Florida College of Medicine
Co-Authors: Christine Kauffman, University of Central Florida College of Medicine

Purpose
Evidence regarding the impact of attendance on academic performance in medical education has been inconsistent. Previous studies have typically focused on comparing attendance with performance within the same phase of medical school, either pre-clerkship or clerkship. While these studies contribute to understanding effective student support, a comprehensive analysis across both pre-clerkship and clerkship may further benefit these studies and their application to the medical curriculum. This longitudinal cohort study aims to bridge this gap by examining the relationship between attendance patterns in the pre-clerkship years of medical school and academic performance in the subsequent clerkship years. 

Methods
Matriculating students were enrolled in the study in August 2019 and their voluntary attendance was collected prospectively. In-person attendance was collected during their first year until the program was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The second year was online and virtual attendance was collected for the entire academic year. The pre-clerkship attendance level was compared to performance in the six core clerkships using preceptor ratings, NBME subject examinations, overall clerkship grade, and the end of M3 OSCE.

Results
75 students completed the study. Medical student pre-clerkship voluntary attendance showed no statistically significant or meaningful correlation with clerkship performance measures based on Spearman Correlation Two-Tailed tests. 

Conclusion 
Our findings indicate that pre-clerkship voluntary attendance is not a significant predictor of performance in the later clerkship years. Instead, early academic metrics would function as more reliable indicators of future success in medical education. This could aid medical schools in prioritizing academic performance over voluntary attendance rates.