PURPOSE: Academic support is effective when it's individualized while
also meeting diverse student needs in a complex medical curriculum. The
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM) delivers an integrated
competency-based curriculum. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive
academic support needs assessment of students within this model. The goal is
to use this data to create a longitudinal evaluation plan to inform the
development of academic support programs tailored to HMSOM’s curriculum.
METHODS: This study uses explanatory sequential mixed-methods design guided
by the CIPP (Context, Input, Process, Product) evaluation model. The Context
evaluation which is currently underway, focuses on identifying student
academic support needs. This data is being collected through an anonymous
online survey administered to all medical students. The survey examines how
students have used existing academic support services, perceived gaps and unmet
needs that affect their engagement, and performance.
RESULTS: Preliminary data from 24% of the students (n=153) showed limited
engagement with individual academic coaching and higher utilization of
peer-led sessions. Students reported that engagement would improve with more
information about services (45.8%) and clearer guidance on how they can help
(45.1%). Qualitative data on perceived gaps revealed three themes: a need for
third-party learning resources, support in how to use those effectively, and
requests for specialty-specific success strategies. Planned next steps
include sharing preliminary findings through focus groups for member
checking, and gathering qualitative feedback to enrich the understanding of
students’ academic support needs and inform subsequent phases of program
design.
CONCLUSION: A structured approach to understanding student needs is
essential for aligning academic support services effectively within complex
medical curricula. This study provides the foundation to achieve that.
Findings will contribute to the broader understanding of how to meet the
diverse academic support needs of medical students.