Variables associated with academic success in UNAM’s medical students

Abstract

Students start University with various skills and different characteristics at personal, family and academic levels that influence their school performance, and they face harder compromises than students in high school, since academic goals are more demanding. The first two years of Medical studies are decisive for the student, because during this period his/her staying or dropping out of school is defined. Objective: To identify academic, personal and socialeconomic variables associated with academic success during the first two years of undergraduate studies in students of the Facultad de Medicina, UNAM. Material and Methods: This is a retrospective observational study in which the diagnostic evaluations for newly admmited students on Spanish, English and General Knowledge were used; the socialeconomic questionnaire applied when newly students are admitted to enter UNAM, the information available at School Services of the Facultad de Medicina and the average percentage of all the departmental exams of the first and second years were also used. Several variables on academic, social-economic and personal issues were assessed. Statistical Analysis: ANOVA of one factor, Student’s t test for independent samples, chi square, simple linear regression and hierarchical classification trees. Results: A total of 945 students were analyzed of which 626 were females and 319 males, with an average age of 18.4. The successful student is the one that undergoes university studies for the first time and gets marks higher than the mean plus one standard deviation in the Departmental Exams of the first and second years of Medicine. Three groups of variables were studied in the profile of the academically successful student. Academic variables: results in the diagnostic exam of Spanish ≥75, High School of origin, academic performance in the diagnostic evaluation of English ≥51.79 and of General Knowledge ≥61 with a general average mark at the end of High School ≥9. Personal variable: female. Socialeconomic variable: father’s schooling (Bachelor’s Degree or Postgraduate Studies). Conclusions: The variables significantly associated with the academic success of medical students suggest that the teachers of High School must strengthen the command of Spanish primarily, as well as that of English and General Knowledge (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology) by students so that the latter may have a better probability of becoming academically successful during the first two years of Medical studies. Schools of Medicine must determine the future prognosis of academic success within their student population.