This study investigates the effects of socioeconomic status and schooling on the academic attainment of a cohort of students at a single medical school (N = 240). Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to explore how students' cumulative summative assessment scores over four years of medical school were affected by: attainment in secondary school examinations (GCSEs and A-levels); the Income Deprivation AffectingChildren Index (IDACI) rank associated with students' home postcodes; and the percentage of A-level students achieving 3 A-levels at AAB or higher in two or more facilitating subjects at students' A-level institutions. The School Performance was associated with decreasing Cumulative Score (-.159, p < .05). This study confirmed the predictive validity of prior academic attainment and found the same inverse relationship between schooling and medical course performance as previous studies. The study found no evidence that socioeconomic background affects course performance; however, students admitted to medicine from poorly-performing
Objectives:Assess the sources of patients' knowledge of medication side effects and the effects of their knowledge on compliance with prescribed medication.Methods:476 patients attending psychiatric services were randomly selected and asked to fill a questionnaire designed to assess parameters relevant to the objectives of the study.Results:Overall, 44% said they had learnt of side effects of their medication from multiple sources including doctors (52.31%), leaflets (54.2%), internet (14.29%), books (13.02%), chemist (11.34%), other patients (5.67%), friends/relatives (7.35%), self-help groups (2.94%) and other sources (4.2%). 8% said they were not aware of any side effects of the medicines they are taking presently.13.44% of patients reported that they never find out about side effects of their medication before taking it for the first time with a high proportion of these being males (17.93%vs.10.69%, p = 0.0366). 46.2% reported that they have had concerns about taking medication because of their knowledge of side effects with females more likely to have such concerns than males (49.83% vs.40.76%, p = 0.0269). Finally, when asked if they would have taken the medicines prescribed for them now if they were told initially of all the side effects, 51.05% answered ‘more likely’, with a higher proportion of these being males (56.67% vs. 49.46%, p = 0.06)Conclusion:Doctors and information leaflets are the leading sources of patients' knowledge about side effects of medication. The knowledge of side effects of medication has a potential to impact more on the compliance of female patients compared to males.
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