Association of entrance examination marks with physiology academic performance in medical students

Abstract

Objective: To determine the relationship of academic stress with the cognitive function, entrance examination marks, and physiology academic performance in first year medical students (n-83). Methods: Cognitive function and degree of stress were assessed in all the participating students. Their entrance examination marks, and internal and annual examination marks on physiology were documented. Spearman correlation was used for data analysis, at significance p<0.05. Results: The occurrence of emotional disorders in the beginning, middle and end of the year are 33.33%, 28.98%, 14.5%, respectively. The marks obtained in multiple choice questions have positive association with academic (ARS) [r=0.27] and intra-and-interpersonal (IPL) [r=0.32] related stressors. In addition to ARS [r=0.31], and IPL [r=0.3] the marks obtained in short answer questions have positive association with teaching-learning-related stressors (TLRS) [r=0.3]. Additionally, physiology practical examination marks have positive association with even more stressors; i.e. ARS [r=0.34], IPL [r=0.32], TLRS [r=0.33] and social related stressors [r=0.32]. Further, the physiology academic performance have positive association with the entrance examination marks (r= 0.76] and cognitive function scores [r= 0.4]. Conclusion: Students having high cognitive functions and securing high in the entrance examination have moderate to high level of academic, inter- and-intrapersonal and teaching learning related stress on entry to the medical course, which seemed to favor their physiology academic performance.

Keywords

• Physiology
• Cognitive Function
• Entrance Examination
• Stress