Remediation of Pre-Clinical Course Failures in a DVM Program and Its Impact on Program Outcomes: A 10-Year Descriptive Study

Remediation provides academically struggling students reasonable opportunities to correct deficiencies in knowledge or skills, achieve competence, and potentially reverse failures. At Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, a remediation policy in the pre-clinical years of the DVM program was implemented beginning with the class of 2014. We evaluated its impact on our DVM program and student outcomes. Using data from DVM classes of 2011 to 2023, we compared academic outcomes between remediating and non-remediating class cohorts and, within remediating cohorts, between students with and without academic difficulties. Despite changes in class size and admissions criteria, 4-year graduation and relative attrition rates were similar in remediating (92.2% and 4.2%) and non-remediating (92.3% and 4.8%) cohorts. Success at the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) prior to graduation was lower in remediating than in non-remediating cohorts (94.5% vs. 97.0%). Among 815 students in remediating cohorts, 157 (19.3%) failed ≥1 courses. Of the 157 students, 134 (85.4%) attempted remediation of ≥1 failed courses, 125 (79.6%) successfully remediated ≥1 failed courses, and 96 (61.1%) successfully remediated all their failed courses. Remediation occurred more often in first-year than in second- or third-year courses. While 99% of the 96 successfully remediated students graduated in 4 years, 13.5% failed ≥1 clinical blocks and 18.7% did not pass the NAVLE before DVM graduation. Our remediation policy enabled successfully remediated students to avoid delayed graduation, but some students struggled in the clinical year and at passing the NAVLE prior to graduation. Additional support systems are necessary to help students pass the NAVLE before graduation.