Progress of medical students after open admission or admission based on knowledge tests

Abstract

Medical Education 2010: 44 : 205–214 Context Although admission to university in Austria is generally open for applicants who have successfully completed secondary school, in some areas of study, including human medicine and dentistry, the selection of students by additional criteria has become legally possible as a result of a decision by the European Court in 2005. We studied the impact of this important change on the temporal pattern of medical students’ progress through the study programme. Methods All 2532 regular students admitted to the diploma programme in human medicine at the Medical University of Graz during the academic years 2002/03–2007/08 were included in the analysis. Non‐parametric and semi‐parametric survival analysis techniques were employed to compare the time required to complete the first two study semesters (first part of the curriculum) before and after the implementation of admission tests. Temporal patterns of dropout before this goal was achieved were also investigated. Sex, age and nationality of students were assessed as potential confounding variables. Results The cumulative probability of study success was dramatically better in selected students versus those who were admitted openly (P < 0.0001). Whereas only 20.1–26.4% of openly admitted students completed the first two study semesters within the scheduled time of 1 year, this percentage rose to 75.6–91.9% for those selected by admission tests. Similarly, the cumulative probability for dropping out of study was also significantly lower in selected students (P < 0.0001). By univariate as well as multivariate techniques, student nationality, age and sex were also identified as partly significant, albeit weak, predictors. Discussion The analysis convincingly demonstrates that, by contrast with open admission, performance‐based selection of medical students significantly raises the probability of successful study progress. Additionally, the proportion of dropouts is significantly reduced. Thus, admission tests save considerable costs, in terms of both student time and public resources.

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

“…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.…”

“…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.…”

Repensando la selección de la carrera de Medicina desde los factores que inciden en la formación

“…La mayoría de los programas de formación en Medicina enfrenta a los estudiantes de forma permanente a desafíos que, dependiendo de sus conductas de entrada, pueden estimular el desarrollo o constituirse en una dificultad para la adaptación y, en el peor de los casos, pudieran llevarle a la deserción 19,20 . Habitualmente se trata de personas que estaban altamente motivadas para estudiar la carrera, que en ocasiones hicieron más de un intento por ingresar y que descubren al poco tiempo que tienen pocas aptitudes para continuar los estudios y por ello su rendimiento es muy bajo 21,22 .…”

“…La evaluación de los aspectos cognitivos ha demostrado tener relación directa con el aumento significativo de la probabilidad de progreso exitoso en la carrera y la disminución significativa de la proporción de abandono temprano 22 , además de presentar vinculación directa con aspectos cognitivos específicos del razonamiento clínico eficaz 11 como la capacidad para identificar y recolectar información relevante, ya sea del contexto o de la tarea, capacidad para adaptar decisiones en tanto cambian las condiciones del problema, capacidad para procesar e interpretar una multiplicidad de datos y tomar decisiones con justificación ética 18 . Cada uno de estos elementos forma parte de las metas del proceso formativo que se busca desarrollar y para el cual el proceso de selección debe dar cuenta de forma certera.…”

Time: an underestimated variable in minimizing the gender gap in medical college admission scores

“…At this point, especially the change after 2005 from the originally open university access to the introduction of an admission test and the standards of the European Union (EU) regarding the admission of European candidates has to be mentioned [9,10].…”