Prior academic background and student performance in assessment in a graduate entry programme

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Research
• Graduate-Entry Medical Programmes

Background:

• Graduate-entry medical programmes attract students from diverse academic backgrounds.
• Assessing the academic performance of non-science graduates alongside science graduates is crucial for understanding educational equity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the academic performance of non-science graduates with science graduates in Basic and Clinical Sciences (B & CS) assessments.
• To analyze performance trends over the first three years of a graduate-entry medical program.

Main Methods:

• Categorized students into five groups: Health Professions (HP), Biomedical Sciences (BMS), Other Biology (BIOL), Physical Sciences (PHYS), and Non-Science (NONS).
• Examined performance ranks in Single Best Answer (SBA) and Modified Essay Question (MEQ) assessments.
• Calculated the relative risk of failure in summative assessments for Years 2 and 3.

Main Results:

• Science graduates initially outperformed others in SBA and MEQ assessments, but differences diminished over time.
• Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences students showed consistently better performance and lower failure rates.
• Non-science graduates demonstrated improved performance, particularly in MEQs, with high overall pass rates despite a higher likelihood of failure in early years.

Conclusions:

• Initial performance disparities between science and non-science graduates in medical school lessen over time.
• Findings can inform curriculum design, assessment timing, and targeted student support strategies.
• While science graduates may have an initial advantage, non-science graduates adapt, highlighting the importance of inclusive educational policies.