Name
From At-Risk to On-Track: Redesigning Student Support
Speakers
Authors
Lisa Taglieri, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Date & Time
Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 11:15 AM - 11:29 AM
Presentation Category
Proactive Learner Support and Recovery
Description
Purpose
PA programs, medical education in general, face rising attrition, increasing numbers of remediation needs, and pressure to maintain certification outcomes. Early academic support models, including Student Success Teams, using coordinated support suggest higher rates of academic success. This session reviews a pilot program for graduate medical student education (PA education) to provide enhanced student success through the utilization of a Student Success Team (SST).
Methods
Our program launched a pilot PA SST with navigators, coaches, tutors, and workshops. At-risk students were identified beginning in the first semester and monitored throughout the four-semester didactic curriculum. When identified at risk, we created individualized plans, and measured outcomes using student performance and perception data. A basic analysis compared first-semester performance before and after SST interventions as needed for 100 students. Outcome measurements included exam and remediation failures and ≥2 exam failures. Surveys assessed student SST experiences.
Results
Following implementation of the SST, total failed examinations decreased by 7.4%, failed remediation examinations by 27.3% drop, and the proportion of students failing two or more examinations by 5.9%. Students perceived tutoring, coaching, and SSN sessions positively, while prep programs and workshops were rated less favorably.
Conclusion
A structured, proactive Student Success Team appears to improve early academic outcomes while shifting support from reactive remediation to individualized early academic support models.
A proactive PA SST improves learner experience and academic outcomes. Programs may benefit from structured early-intervention models. Ongoing longitudinal evaluation will determine whether these improvements are sustained throughout the clinical year and into program completion for multiple cohorts of students.