Minority student persistence in clinical laboratory education programs

The objective of this study was to characterize minority student persistence in clinical laboratory scientist (CLS) and clinical laboratory technician (CLT) education programs and relate persistence to student characteristics and involvement in academic and social dimensions of college programs. A prospective, longitudinal study was done using written survey and follow-up data collection. Participants were 2,426 CLS and CLT students in academic-based educational programs across the United States. The participants completed a forced-choice survey eliciting demographic information and determining their interactions with social and academic dimensions of college and the clinical laboratory education program. Program outcome groups, i.e., graduates, voluntary withdrawals, and academic dismissals, were compared on each of 14 variables. Of the 2,426 participants, 80.7% graduated, 10.8% voluntarily withdrew, and 8.5% were dismissed for academic reasons. The outcome groups differed significantly on seven of eight academic involvement measures and five of six measures of social involvement. Student persistence behaviors varied by ethnic group, with African Americans more likely to leave for academic reasons than others. Graduation rates varied among the five ethnic groups. Differences were found among ethnic groups on five of eight measures of academic involvement and on two of six measures of social involvement. The results suggest that ethnic groups may differ in their levels of involvement in aspects of social and academic programs, thus explaining their different persistence behaviors. Understanding why some students are unsuccessful may form the basis for effective retention efforts.