Factors influencing academic achievement of medical students in the basic medical sciences

A structured questionnaire was administered to 236 medical and dental students who had just finished the Part I M.B.B.S./B.D.S. degree examination. Apart from personal data of each student, the questionnaire sought information on issues that may affect the student's learning of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology. The scores of all the students in their continuous assessment tests and the finals of the Part I M.B.B.S./B.D.S. examinations in the three subjects were recorded. The results showed that age, repeating the year, performance in continuous assessment tests, having one, seven or eight 'A' grades in the Ordinary Level (O/L) examination significantly affected the overall performance of the students. On the other hand, likeness for a particular subject, mode of entry of the student whether direct or concessional, types of books read, time spent on each subject, having between two and six 'A' grades in O/L, access to hostel accommodation, adequacy or otherwise of financial support and the student's rating of his/her state of health did not significantly influence the performance of the students. The students gained most from lectures while tutorials were rated as being more helpful than practical classes. Multiple choice questions (MCQs) is the preferred mode of assessment. The possible explanation for these findings and their implications for medical education are discussed.