Attrition rates of underrepresented minority students at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, 1993-1997

Abstract

PURPOSE: To examine the attrition rates of underrepresented minority (URM) students and non-URM students at the University of Illinois at Chicago's College of Medicine (UIC-COM). METHOD: The study used 11 categories of information about URM and non-URM students at UIC-COM for the five academic years 1993-1997 to determine how many students withdrew and why. RESULTS: Of 895 graduates during these five years, 166 (18.5%) were URM students. The attrition rates were 6.5% for all graduates, 16.2% for URM students, and 4.0% for non-URM students. Students who withdrew because of academic difficulties comprised 75% of URM withdrawals and 57% of non-URM withdrawals. CONCLUSION: Many URM students need special academic attention after matriculation. Existing academic support programs should be assessed regularly to ascertain whether they may be improved to minimize attrition.