Preadmissions programs and enrollment of underrepresented minority students before and during successful challenges to affirmative action

The association between the percent change in first-year and total underrepresented minority student enrollment and the presence of preadmission programs at Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical schools was assessed before and during successful legal and legislative challenges to affirmative action. The percent change in under-represented minority student enrollment was determined by comparing enrollment data for the academic years 1993-94 and 1996-97. Schools were categorized as having either a negative or positive percent change in their enrollment of underrepresented minority students. Logistic regression was used to determine the association of the percent change in under-represented minority student enrollment and the presence of a preadmission program while controlling for schools' financial support and the presence of postbaccalaureate programs. Fifty-six percent of the included medical schools had preadmission programs. Schools with a positive percent change were significantly more likely to have preadmission programs compared with schools with a negative percent change. There was no association between the presence of preadmission programs and the percent change in total enrollment. These results indicate that the presence of preadmission programs is positively associated with increases in first-year underrepresented minority student enrollment during the successful challenges to affirmative actions.