Dropout Rates in Medical Students at One School Before and After the Installation of Admission Tests in Austria

Abstract

The introduction of admission testing significantly decreased the cumulative probability for dropout. In openly admitted students a significantly higher risk for dropout was found in female students and in older students, whereas no such effects can be detected after admission testing. Future research should focus on the sex dependence, with the aim of improving success rates among female applicants on the admission tests.

Paradise lost or paradise regained? Changes in admission system affect academic performance and drop-out rates of medical students

“…During the open admission period, the drop-out rate was significantly higher for female students than for male. The same difference has been found in a recent study at the Medical University of Graz, Austria (Reibnegger et al 2011). The implementation of selection in the admission procedure abolished this difference.…”

“…Upon introduction of a selection system the number of students who stopped studying medicine during the first year was more than halved. A similar effect was noted in the Medical University of Graz, Austria (Reibnegger et al 2011). Even though the drop-out ratio was more than halved it is still very high when compared with other countries.…”

“…In most medical universities, the drop-out ratio is usually lower for female students (Arulampalam et al 2004a(Arulampalam et al , 2004b(Arulampalam et al , 2007Andriole & Jeffe 2010). Hence, the situation in Austria (this study and Reibnegger et al (2011)) has been rather unique.…”

“…These particular aims appear to be of high interest also for international readers, because only few reports (Reibnegger et al 2010(Reibnegger et al , 2011O'Neill et al 2011a) focussing on these outcomes do exist.…”

“…From 2006 onwards, the new admission system showed three major amendments. First, a cognitive admission testing of applicants was implemented: the medical universities in Innsbruck and Vienna opted for the Swiss medical school aptitude test (EMS, Eignungstest fü r das Medizinstudium in der Schweiz (Hänsgen 2007)) while the Medical University of Graz chose to establish own procedures (Reibnegger et al 2010(Reibnegger et al , 2011. Until 2011, 30,063 high school leavers have undergone the EMS for Austria (EMS-AT; completely identical in contents to the Swiss version EMS; Anonymous 2011), the identical tasks being simultaneously assigned at the German speaking Swiss universities.…”