Health sciences undergraduate students academic track records

Abstract

Background: Academic track record analysis is essential for evaluating the training of students and the structure of higher education study programs, which allows diagnosing and preventing educational lag and school dropout. Objective: To analyze the differences in academic track records of UNAM health sciences undergraduate students from generations 2001 to 2016. Material and methods: Study of real cohorts; graduation and lag rates were calculated. ANOVA was used to contrast the graduation rates between campuses by undergraduate program and time. To identify critical periods, survival functions were used with Kaplan-Meier's method. Results: The lowest percentages of lag were observed in nursing and medicine students; nursing students had the highest graduation rates, especially at Zaragoza campus; dentistry students had the lowest graduation rates and the highest dropout and lag rates. Women showed higher graduation rates and lower risk of dropout and lag. Conclusions: Nursing, medicine and psychology undergraduate students at Zaragoza and Iztacala campuses, with modular programs, achieved the highest graduation percentages and the lowest dropout and lag rates.