Investigating the Impact of Admission Requirements on Academic Performance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Medical Teaching Institutions

Authors

  • Imran Zaman Khan Nowshera Medical College, Nowshera, Pakistan
  • Ayesha Rafiq Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad, Pakistan
  • Sobia Haris Nowshera Medical College, Nowshera, Pakistan
  • Sahar Mufti Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Haris Nowshera Medical College, Nowshera, Pakistan
  • Farah Deeba Nowshera Medical College, Nowshera, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Jehangir Khan Makka Medical Center, Nowshera, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47489/szmc.v38i3.556

Keywords:

Academic performance, predictive value of tests, medical education, entrance examinations, student selection

Abstract

Introduction: The effectiveness of admission criteria in predicting academic performance is critical for optimizing student success in medical education. This study investigates how various admission standards, including FSc grades, entrance test scores, and merit criteria, correlate with academic outcomes in medical institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Aims & Objectives: To examine the correlation between admission requirements and academic achievement among medical students across various medical teaching institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Place and Duration of Study: It was conducted for over six months from January 2022 till June 2022 at the Department of Medical Education, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar after approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Material & Method: A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling to include data from 10,061 students (5,657 male, 4,404 female) enrolled in public medical and dental colleges across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) under the provincial government’s administration. The study utilized SPSS version 25 for data analysis, employing descriptive statistics, linear regression analysis and t-tests to assess the relationships between predictor variables and professional examination performance.

Results: Significant but weak correlations (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) were observed between three predictor variables— F.Sc scores, merit criteria, and entrance test scores—and professional examination scores across ten medical colleges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Regression analyses confirmed that F.Sc scores were the strongest predictor of academic performance from the 1st to the 4th year, whereas merit criteria, which include 40% of entrance test marks, emerged as the predominant predictor in the final professional year.

Conclusion: The study revealed significant correlations between interpreters (F.Sc, entrance test, and merit scores) and MBBS examination scores across medical institutions. Stepwise regression analysis indicated F.Sc as the best predictor from the first to fourth year, with merit emerging as the top predictor in the final year.

References

Alamoudi, A. A., Fallatah, H. I., Eldakhakhny, B. M., Kamel, F. O., AlShawwa, L. A., & Elsamanoudy, A. Z. (2021). Relationship between admittance criteria & academic performance in basic science courses in health science colleges in KAU. COLLEGE-6 Medical Education, 21(1), 1–8.

Khan J, Ali A, Gul MS. Predictability of Medical Colleges’ Entrance Test in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. LJSS [Internet]. 2023 Dec. 31 [cited 2024 Jul. 17];2(2):46-59. Available from: https://kpheart.edu.pk/ojs/index.php/ljss/article/view/104

Massey S, Yealy J, Chadha R, Beck D. The Relationship Between Physician Assistant School Admissions Exam (PA-CAT) and Undergraduate Performance Measured by Science GPA and Cumulative GPA. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2020 Jan 01;18(2), Article 9.

Setiawati FA. Aptitude Test's Predictive Ability for Academic Success in Psychology Student. Psychological Research and Intervention. 2020 Sep 30;3(1):1-2. doi:10.21831/pri.v3i1.34731

Dam J. California smarter balanced assessments and college admission tests as predictors of college persistence (Doctoral dissertation, Alliant International University), 2020.

Atkinson, R. (2001). Achievement versus aptitude tests in college admittances. Issues in Science & Technology, 18(2).

M. M. Sulphey, Nasser Saad Al-Kahtani, Abdul Malik Syed. Relationship between admission grades and academic achievement. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 2018, 5(3), pp.648 - 658. doi:10.9770/jesi.2018.5.3(17).

Hanson JT, Busche K, Elks ML, Jackson-Williams LE, Liotta RA, Miller C, Morris CA, Thiessen B, Yuan K. The validity of MCAT scores in predicting students’ performance and progress in medical school: results from a multisite study. Academic Medicine. 2022 Sep 1;97(9):1374-84.

Žuljevi? MF, Buljan I. Academic and non-academic predictors of academic performance in medical school: an exploratory cohort study. BMC Medical Education. 2022 May 13;22(1):366.

Zeineddine H, Braendle U, Farah A. Enhancing prediction of student success: Automated machine learning approach. Computers & Electrical Engineering. 2021 Jan 1;89:106903.

Crowther P, Briant S. Predicting academic success: A longitudinal study of university design students. International Journal of Art & Design Education. 2021 Feb;40(1):20-34.

Wiley, A. (2014). Student success in college: How criteria should drive predictor development. Proceedings of the First International Conference on Assessment & Evaluation, Riyadh: The National Center for Assessment in Higher Education.

Cabanela LC. Data-driven career placement examination system with prediction model in forecasting licensure performance using regression techniques. International Journal of Management. 2023;1(2).

Almarabheh A, Shehata MH, Ismaeel A, Atwa H, Jaradat A. Predictive validity of admission criteria in predicting academic performance of medical students: a retrospective cohort study. Frontiers in Medicine. 2022 Sep 8;9:971926.

Kleshinski, J., Khuder, S. A., Shapiro, J. I., & Gold, J. P. (2009). Impact of preadmittance variables on USMLE Step 1 & Step 2 performance. Advances in Health Sciences Education, Vol. 14, No. 1, 69-78. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal on 17-7-2009.

Vergolini L, Vlach E. Family background and educational path of Italian graduates. Higher Education. 2017 Feb;73:245-59.

Khan AA, Wali A, Arshad M. Evaluating the predictive validity of MDCAT for academic performance in medical colleges of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. J Pak Med Assoc. 2023;73(1):58-63. doi:10.5455/jpma.2023.01.1234.

Ali SA, Shahid M, Ahmed N. Influence of socio-economic factors on MDCAT scores and their impact on medical school performance. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(4):987-92. doi:10.12669/pjms.38.4.4291.

Hussain M, Tariq M, Rahman A. The role of high school academic performance in predicting success in medical college admission tests. BMC Med Educ. 2022;22:326. doi:10.1186/s12909-022-03123-4.

Bukhari SR, Qureshi HA, Ahmed T. Enhancing admissions processes for medical colleges: A comparative analysis of MDCAT and ETEA. J Med Educ Curric Dev. 2024;11:1-9. doi:10.1177/23821205231120204.

Ferguson, E., James, D. & Madeley, L. (2002). Factors associated with success in medical school: Systematic review of the literature. British Medical Journal, 324, 952-957.

Woodham MB. Examining the Validity of CASPer as a Medical School Admission Prescreening Assessment (Doctoral dissertation, Trevecca Nazarene University).

Gauer JL, Wolff JM, Jackson JB. Do MCAT scores predict USMLE scores? An analysis on 5 years of medical student data. Medical Education Online. 2016 Jan 1;21(1):31795.

Dupont, Patrick Carl, "Academic Success and Curricular Structure: Exploring the Relationship Between Prerequisite Course Sequence and Grade Point Average in Community College Health Science Students" (2020). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 247. https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/247

Meyer H, Zimmermann S, Hissbach J, Klusmann D, Hampe W. Selection and academic success of medical students in Hamburg, Germany. BMC Medical Education. 2019 Dec;19:1-5.

Raman M, Lukmanji S, Walker I, Myhre D, Coderre S, McLaughlin K. Does the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) predict licensing examination performance in the Canadian context?. Canadian Medical Education Journal. 2019 Mar;10(1).

Veloski, J. J., Callahan, C. A., Xu, G., Hojat, M., & Nash, D. B. (2000). Prediction of students’ performances on licensing exams using age, race, sex, undergraduate GPAs, & MCAT scores. Academic Medicine, 75(10), S28–S30.

Khan IZ, Mahboob U, Yasmeen R. Correlation between Admission Criteria and Academic Performance in Medical and Dental Colleges of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan Journal of Medical & Health Sciences. 2022 Nov 20;16(10):193.

Downloads

Published

2024-09-30

How to Cite

1.
Imran Zaman Khan, Ayesha Rafiq, Sobia Haris, Sahar Mufti, Muhammad Haris, Farah Deeba, Muhammad Jehangir Khan. Investigating the Impact of Admission Requirements on Academic Performance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Medical Teaching Institutions. Proceedings S.Z.M.C [Internet]. 2024 Sep. 30 [cited 2024 Dec. 11];38(3):214-9. Available from: https://proceedings-szmc.org.pk/index.php/szmc/article/view/556