Programmatic strategies for academic success in graduate health professions education: A scoping review

Students face unique challenges to academic success. Downwards trends in licensure pass rates suggest institutions must better understand effective teaching and student supports. This scoping review assessed recent literature on the characteristics and effectiveness of strategies to improve student success in graduate health professions programs. The search was conducted through Medline (OVID), CINAHL (EBSCO), Web of Science, and ERIC (Proquest) in April 2024. Interventional studies published after 2017 reporting on programmatic strategies instituted after admission were included to target contemporary strategies investigated in graduate health professions students. Analysis of included studies (n=24) revealed six programmatic approaches: bridging programs, mentorship, tutoring, remediation, curriculum design, and wellness support. All strategies reported varying levels of positive impact on student success. Across these interventions, three themes emerged: the importance of early identification of students at risk for academic difficulty, professional identity formation, and contextual learning. While many programs have implemented interventional strategies, reporting their impact on academic outcomes is limited. Successful strategies targeting early identification, professional identity formation, and contextual learning demonstrate potential, but require careful implementation with adequate resources at all institutional levels. Future research should determine which strategies are most impactful longitudinally while measuring universal objective outcomes.