Personality Dynamism and Academic Performance Among Boarders and Non-boarders Studying in a Medical University

Abstract

Introduction The personality of a human being consists of his behavior, cognition, emotional abilities, and interaction with his surroundings. The personality of an individual is modified by his ability for social perception, life experiences, and training. The pattern of study in which a person acquires education has a great influence on their personality. Objective To compare the personality traits and academic performance of boarders and non-boarders studying in a medical university. Material and methods It is a comparative, descriptive cross-sectional study done at Rawalpindi Medical University, Pakistan. The duration of the study was from January 2019 to April 2019. A questionnaire was randomly distributed among the students of Rawalpindi Medical University and filled under supervision. The questionnaire had two parts: (1) Academic performance information and (2) Big Five inventory (BFI-40). Only MBBS students of Rawalpindi Medical University were included. For statistical analysis, the independent t-test was applied using the Windows IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 22 (SPSS, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, US). The statistically significant value was taken as 0.05. Results Out of 300 questionnaires distributed, 287 were properly filled, giving a response rate of 95.6%. The Cronbach's alpha value was .750. The mean age was 20.87±1.344. There were 216 (75.1%) male and 71 (24.9%) females. One-hundred eighty-three (63.8%) were boarders and 104 (36.2%) were non-boarders. The mean scores of extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were higher for boarders while the mean scores of neuroticism and openness were higher for non-boarders. High average percentages in professional exams were common in non-boarders while boarders were taking more supplementary exams comparatively. Conclusion Self-discipline, surgency from external activities/situations, and getting along with others are common traits among boarders. On the other hand, non-boarders are more creative but emotionally unstable. The academic status of boarders is comparatively poor. Thus, the hostel administration should be particularly concerned about the activities of boarders, and parents should be aware of their child's academic status. Teachers should pay special attention to the character development of students.

Residential status of medical students as a factor affecting formative and summative academic performance in Forensic Medicine at Rehman Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan

“…When they were compared in terms of academic performance, day scholars were found to be better than their other counterparts. 13 A similar study conducted in India also showed better performance of day scholars academically. 14 Nayatanga and his colleagues conducted a study to compare the academic performance of hostelites and day scholars.…”

Comparative Study On the Academic Performance of Day Scholar and Hostel Medical Undergraduate Students

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Comparison of Critical Thinking among undergraduate medical students of Conventional and Integrated curricula in Twin Cities

“…22 Rehman K et al reported no difference of academic performance in medical professional exam but day scholars were found to be better than their other counterparts. 23,24 The country's education system needs to identify all the possible barriers while inculcating a change in the thinking style, research, deepening critical thinking, and also a change in teachers' attitudes toward curriculum designing (goals, objectives, learning content, instructional designs and evaluation methods); more so, it is suggested that proper attention should be paid to the need to develop and utilize critical thinking skills in the learners' education. 25 The current study results suggest that medical curriculum should be taught in an integrated manner to stimulate critical thinking skills among future healthcare providers.…”