Preclinical progress in relation to personality and academic profiles

One hundred and forty-six (93%) of the University of Wales College of Medicine intake of new students completed a personality questionnaire (Cattell 16PF) on registration in October 1988. The students were divided into four groups depending on their academic progress up to and including 2nd MB BCh. Whereas the majority (73%) encountered no major examination problems, 40 (27%) did experience such difficulties, nine of them serious enough to delay graduation. Fourteen students had left the course, nine of them voluntarily. Academic progress was not significantly related to any of Cattell's personality factors, either primary or second order. Further analyses of established clusters of factors which have previously been associated with problems among students were also shown to be unrelated to the medical students' progress. A profile at entry involving previous degrees, points obtained and number of attempts at A-levels proved to be a much better predictor of success during the preclinical period.