Hod, Rafidah
(2006)
Selection of medical students : the relationship between pre-admission academic achievements & students' profiles to performance in medical school.
Masters thesis, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Abstract
AIM: A retrospective study to determine the association between pre-admission academic
achievement and students' profiles with their medical school performance was conducted in
the Faculty of M~dicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia from May 2005 to
October 2005. This study analysed 5 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) subjects (i.e. Bahasa
Malaysia, English, Biology, Chemistry and Physics) and type of pre-admission programme
[matriculation or Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM)]. Students' profiles include their
demographic variables and motivational factors. METHOD: All students who have gone
through the pre-clinical years and all the clinical postings in Year 3 and Year 4 are included
in this study (n=147). The outcome measures were the results of Year 2, postings of
Medicine-Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Psychiatry, ENT, Dermatology,
Ophthalmology. Year 2 examination results represent performance in the pre-clinical years
while the rest of the outcomes represent performance in the early clinical years. The
outcome of grades A, B+ and B are considered as good results while grades C+, C and F
are average/poor results. Statistical tests used to determine the associations are Chi-square
and Fisher's Exact test. Further analysis was carried out using logistic regression to
examine the relationship between important variables and all the outcomes. RESULTS:
Univariate analysis found variables associated with good performance in medical school to
include: four SPM subjects (i.e. English, Biology, Chemistry and Physics), STPM
programme, male, Chinese and students from day schools. At final assessment, students
who were from the STPM programme were 12.2 times more likely to perform well in Year
2, 16.1 times more likely in Medicine-Surgery and 3.6 times more likely in Ophthalmology.
Students who were good in Biology were 2.6 times more likely to perform well in Year 2,
while those good in Physics were 5 times more likely to perform well in Medicine-Surgery,
students who did well in Chemistry were 2.4 times more likely to perform well in
Psychiatry, 4.8 times more in ENT and 2.7 times more in Ophthalmology. Those from day
school were 3.5 times more likely to do well in Psychiatry. Parental wish was inversely
related to the performance in Ophthalmology while choice of wide range of job options in
medicine was inversely related to outcomes in Year 2 and ENT. CONCLUSION: This
study suggests that there is a relationship between pre-admission qualifications, students'
profile and subsequent performance in the medical school.
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