title: Synchronous videoconferencing: impact on achievement of medical students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medical schools are expanding their enrollment, and synchronous lecture broadcast is being used more frequently to deliver instruction across multiple sites.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether the videoconferencing lecture-delivery method is associated with differences in medical student performance on national licensing examinations at lecture site-of-origin versus lecture receiving sites.
  
  
  METHODS
  The academic preparedness of medical students at the time of admission and performance on a national licensing examination were compared for students predominantly receiving live lectures and those receiving synchronous videoconferencing lectures. External metrics were analyzed to establish baseline preparedness (Medical College Admission Test scores) and to determine academic achievement (national licensing examination scores).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors found no statistically significant differences between site-of-origin and receiving sites in medical student preparedness or academic achievement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medical students that receive the majority of their lectures through synchronous videoconferencing perform no differently on national licensing examinations than students that attend live lectures at the site-of-origin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan, USA. hortos@msu.edu
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hortos
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sefcik
authors.forename: Suzanne G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: McDaniel
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zemper
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D008007:Licensure, Medical; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D049269:Videoconferencing