The Academic Performance of First-Generation-to-College Medical Students as They Transition to Residency

ABSTRACT First-generation-to-college students are a growing population in nonmetropolitan medical schools such as Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) in Scranton, PA. GCSOM and other medical schools routinely assess their efforts to ensure equal opportunities for first- and continuing-generation medical students. The authors examined a cohort of these student groups at GCSOM in terms of transition to residency and found that first-generation-to-college students were not disadvantaged compared to continuing-generation students. Clearly, many factors are involved in successful transition to residency, and ongoing research focuses on identifying and mitigating differences among males and females in first- and continuing-generation students.