Impact of Pre-Admission Grade Point Averages on Anesthesiologist Assistant Student Performance at Emory University School of Medicine

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Katherine S. Monroe, Emory University; William Bundy, Emory University; Yulanda Greene, Emory University; Greg Jarvis, Emory University; Jennifer Stever, Emory University; Gaurav Pravin Patel, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2024
• Publisher: Dovepress
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2024 Monroe et al.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): https://doi.org/10.2147%2FAMEP.S465374
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Advances in Medical Education and Practice
• Volume: 15
• Start Page: 611
• End Page: 614
• Keywords: certified anesthesiologist assistant; admission metrics; student success; anesthesia care team
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, Education

Abstract

Purpose The Anesthesiologist Assistant career is gaining significant popularity in the health professions in the United States. Given that this medical occupation is relatively young, there is limited information regarding student success in this demanding graduate-level program. Assessing if pre-admission metrics influence how students perform during the curriculum is essential to recruiting the appropriate candidates. Grade point averages have been shown to correlate with student success in medical education programs for both medical students and physician assistant students, but there is currently no information regarding anesthesiologist assistant students. Methods Pre-matriculation science and cumulative grade point averages were accessed in a deidentified manner for Emory University Anesthesiologist Assistant Students, and 2-tailed Pearson coefficients were calculated to see if there was a correlation with performance during the science/didactic curriculum of our program and with the clinical curriculum of the program. Results The 2-tailed Pearson coefficients showed a moderately strong positive correlation between pre-admission science and cumulative grade point averages and performance during the science curriculum of the Emory program (r=0.522). Data also suggested a moderate correlation with grade point averages at graduation from our program (r=0.484). Similar results were found with cumulative grade point averages as well. Conclusion Given the limited information, we have regarding pre-admission metrics and performance in an Anesthesiologist Assistant program, our study shows that pre-admission science scores and grades in general in undergraduate studies does in fact mimic the information found from studies of other health profession students. Further studies are needed to elucidate how to choose the most appropriate candidates for admission to anesthesiologist assistant programs.