“Morehouse Magic” | How the Morehouse School of Medicine brings diversity and tutoring to the health sciences


The Morehouse School of Medicine provides students with the skills necessary to succeed in and push the boundaries of the health sciences. MSM sets itself apart through its mission to increase the diversity of practitioners in the medical field.

The school boasts more first-generation students than the national average. As well, the school considers a holistic account of the student when accepting applicants. Consequently, this medical school has created a unique student and administrative culture that requires specific tools to succeed.

To support their students, the school has created an atmosphere of willingness to ask for help. Morehouse School of Medicine has successfully fostered a mentality within their student body that seeking support is not a sign of weakness but an indicator of strength. Students are encouraged to reach out and be proactive in finding administrative assistance if they are struggling in a course.

As the medical field continues to recognize the importance of diversity, MSM has grown significantly over the past few years. Because of their mission to teach underserved students, the school attracts students who are driven by meaningful goals.

Challenges

As mentioned, MSM accepts a high number of first-generation students. Many students are accepted not just because of their GPA or their MCAT scores but by testing the resilience and drive of prospective students.

The students who entered school during the pandemic have struggled relative to past cohorts. This is not unique within higher education- many students have struggled. Morehouse School of Medicine has a very “hands-on” approach to teaching, and by going virtual, they felt as though they lost some of the magic that came from meeting in person.

Solution

Morehouse School of Medicine has worked to develop students’ trust in the institution. They are diligent in reaching out to students proactively to offer support. But this is a two-way street, and the students are also encouraged to reach out when they need help. By comparison to large research universities, MSM has a relatively small student population. This allows greater intimacy between students, professors, and administrators.

To facilitate these connections, getting data to track and manage the resources available to students is essential. Adopting QuadC has given this medical school more reliable data to make decisions.

Results

  • 1,200 tutoring sessions completed
  • Over 450 student sign-ups since 2020
  • 250+ assignments received peer editing

Key Features

One of the primary reasons for using QuadC is for data and resource tracking. It is essential to know which high-demand courses require an allocation of tutors. By tracking student usage patterns and comparing them to previous years, the Morehouse School of Medicine is able to predict and prepare for the courses that students struggle with most.

Further, QuadC has provided MSM with the ability to offer robust supplemental instruction programs to students. By tracking student usage, administrators are able to see which programs require more or fewer tutors. In being able to track trends year over year, they are able to predict where to allocate resources. This enables them to operate more efficiently, saving time and money. Using the assignment review feature, students are able to submit their work to peer tutors who can review and peer-edit assignments prior to submission.

As with all institutions, budget reporting is closely watched. The Morehouse School of Medicine uses QuadC to deliver important tutoring services to their students, and because of data tracking, they are able to demonstrate the value the service is providing quantitatively. Additionally, cost is a very important consideration. By using integrations, single sign-on, and a comprehensive platform, QuadC is able to refine its processes. QuadC has worked diligently to bring a robust and impactful service at a fraction of the cost of our major competitors.

When asked about how data is being used by the administration, Ms. McNeill, the Program Manager of the Office of Student Learning & Educational Resources, said, “It’s very important for us to be able to track that.” She explained that her department, though they use the QuadC platform, is not the department that allocates the budget for their services- so they need to show how QuadC is delivering quantitative value. By tracking important data points, they get to demonstrate how “our students are using it in this capacity, it is a necessity, this is something our students need to have, we should keep providing the service.”

Testimonial

“We use [QuadC] to track a lot of things we weren’t able to track previously, so there’s definitely a benefit there.”

– LaNeisha McNeill, Program Manager, Office of Student Learning & Educational Resources

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