Pre-matriculation indicators of academic difficulty during veterinary school.

The purpose of this study was to assess pre-matriculation academic and demographic data to identify risk factors for academic difficulty and failure to graduate among veterinary students. Admissions data were compiled for 1,098 students admitted to veterinary college between 1989 and 2000 inclusive. Students were classified by (a) academic success, consisting of students who completed veterinary school within four years in the top 90% of the class or (b) academic difficulty, including students dismissed for academic reasons, students who experienced academic delay, and students who graduated with a cumulative GPA in the 10th percentile of their class. Of 1,098 admitted students, 930 (84.7%) completed veterinary school within four years in the top 90% of their class. Among students with academic difficulty, 94 (8.6%) completed veterinary school in four years in the 10th percentile, 44 (4%) experienced academic delay, and 30 (2.7%) were dismissed. Academic difficulty was associated with a low prerequisite GPA, a low GRE score, poor undergraduate institutional selectivity, and older age (> or =35 years). Students who attended three-or-more undergraduate institutions or two-year colleges prior to attending a four year institution were 1.9 times more likely to experience academic difficulty and 3.87 times more likely to fail to graduate than students who attended a four-year institution (major or small) to complete their prerequisites. These study findings may assist with early identification of students at greater risk of experiencing academic difficulty and support the consideration of cognitive selection criteria (GRE and GPA) and undergraduate institutional experience during the admissions process.