A Study on Predicting Academic Performance of the First Year Medical Undergraduate Students

Address for Correspondence: Dr.Vijaya Ramanathan, Department of Anatomy, Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute, Enathur, Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu, India. E-Mail: [email protected] Background: Students in many Asian countries are qualified to seek admission to undergraduate medical degree soon after they leave the secondary schools. Selection criteria vary in different countries. In an effort to standardise the admission procedures Medical Council of India(MCI) has introduced National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) as the entry requirement for the undergraduate medical course from this year. In addition to the scholastic success guided by cognitive factors, non-cognitive factors could also have a direct positive relationship to student’s academic performance. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifty-two, first year medical undergraduate students were briefed about this project. The students filled a questionnaire containing 70 items distributed in 3 sections (i) Preliminary interview (ii) Learning strategy survey and (iii) Approaches to study skills inventory (ASSIST). The scores were analysed statistically and any correlation between parameters were identified Results: Majority of students in this cohort were well motivated. The number of students with inadequate learning strategies were more, compared to those with well equipped strategies. The deep and strategic approach had moderately high scores compared to surface apathetic approach. Conclusion: Small number of students were not motivated and needed to be guided in this aspect. Many students needed monitoring especially in their learning and test taking strategies. Moreover surface apathetic approach (fear factor) required to be eliminated effectively by faculty members.