Efficiency of Peer Tutoring Program at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM)

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. Introduction: The benefits of peer tutoring programs in improving peer tutees' overall academic performance are well-documented in the context of various academic settings, including allopathic medical schools. However, there exists very few published studies that have evaluated the impact of such peer tutoring programs in an osteopathic medical school setting.The goal of this retrospective study is to evaluate the impact of peer tutoring program, namely the Academic Assistance Program (AAP) in academic performance of peer tutees at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM). Methods: Twenty-eight peer tutees in their first-year and fifteen peer tutors in their second-year at ACOM participated in the AAP. To evaluate the academic performance of peer tutees, we compared their final exam test scores (individual courses and cumulative) with their corresponding test scores before enrolling in AAP, which consisted of scores from their first exam in the beginning of calendar year (Exam 1), undergraduate study, and MCAT. Results: The peer tutees' final test scores (for both category: individual courses and cumulative) were significantly higher than their Exam 1 scores as assessed by two-tailed, unpaired t-test (both cases, p < 0.005). We also found that the peer tutees' final cumulative scores (without lab scores) do not correlate with neither their MCAT scores (r = -0.13) nor with their undergraduate science GPA (r = 0.15). While their Exam 1 scores showed a weak correlation with their undergraduate science GPA (r = 0.38), no such correlation was found when compared to their MCAT scores (r = -0.02). Discussion and Conclusion: Our data suggest that peer tutoring programs such as the AAP can contribute to improving students' overall academic performance. Additional comparative study should be conducted to assess long-term impact of such programs on not only peer tutees but also peer tutors.