title: Investing in success: student experiences in a structured, decelerated preclinical medical school curriculum.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many students in the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (CHM) are non-traditional with unique needs and experiences. To meet these needs, in 1988 CHM developed a structured Extended Curriculum Program (ECP), which allows students to take longer than 2 years to complete the preclinical curriculum. This work examined the reasons why students extended their programs, their perceptions of that experience, and the outcome with respect to satisfaction and success in their careers after graduation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The analysis used data from the college database, follow-up surveys of residency directors and graduates, surveys of graduates who extended, and the AMA Physician Masterfile.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Graduates who responded to the survey were evenly split between those who extended for academic reasons and those who extended for other reasons. Although feelings about extending were mixed at the time of extension, nearly all respondents agreed that extending was the right decision in the long run. Extended students continued to face academic challenges having lower basic science averages, lower USMLE Step 1 and 2 first attempt pass rates, and more instances of repeated clerkships compared to those who did not extend, however, most were able to secure a residency in the specialty they desired and had comparable career satisfaction ratings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ECP allows some students to complete medical school who otherwise may not have been able to do so. This analysis has provided valuable information that was used to improve the program, allowing CHM to continue its mission of training a diverse set of students to be exemplary physicians.
authors.affiliation: Office of Preclinical Curriculum, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; arvidso3@msu.edu.
authors.forename: Cindy G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Arvidson
authors.affiliation: Office of Preclinical Curriculum, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Wrenetta D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Office of Preclinical Curriculum, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Renoulte
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Office of Preclinical Curriculum, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.|Office of Medical Education Research and Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reznich
authors.affiliation: Office of Medical Education Research and Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mavis
authors.affiliation: Office of Preclinical Curriculum, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Janet R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Osuch
authors.affiliation: Office of Student Affairs and Services, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lipscomb
authors.affiliation: Office of Preclinical Curriculum, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.affiliation: Office of Preclinical Curriculum, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brewer
mesh_terms: D002321:Career Choice; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: academic challenges; accommodating life events; career satisfaction; extended curriculum; non-traditional medical students