Admission process and final qualification of medical students

Several ways of admission are compared as to their effect on the final drop-out rate under an unlimited system of examinations within the Medical School. Out of 8260 students admitted during 10 years via several admission systems, 5927 graduated within 16 years from enrollment. A larger drop-out rate (as well as a longer delay in graduating) was observed with students admitted without entrance examinations. An important number of students entering after examinations (45%) were also late in graduating. Among the admission systems used the findings point to the fact that a closed system provides the school with a majority of competent students but excludes a number of students who proved capable of graduating when enrolled in the same school. The findings also point to the need of improvement of the admission process in the closed system or the need for strict first- or second-year evaluation of students in the open system.